Danny Phantom: Season 3 (The Story Continues)
by ThePhantomHedgehog
Summary: Join Danny and his friends as their adventures continue. This picks up after "D-Stabilized" and is meant to be a continuation of the TV series. Follow Team Phantom as they fight enemies, old and new, befriend a new ghost, and fight together against a malevolent killer from the future to save the world. And this time, it's not his evil future self. Happy 15th Anniversary! [Complete]
1. Episode 52: Jump Over the Candlestick

**Welcome, phans… my God, this is so bizarre to say/type…**

**Welcome, phans, to a very special fanfic. 15 years ago, April 3, 2004, Nickelodeon aired one of the best shows ever that defined my childhood. No, not Power Rangers, shut up… but that as well, I guess. No, I'm talking about Danny Phantom. Over the course of 3 years, we were blessed with 53 action-pack, ectoplasmic, comedic, ghost butt-kickin', action-filled episodes! And cluelessness, of course. After watching the entire show again and reading a handful of well-written and/or well thought ideas and theories, I decided to write a story of my own. And what better time to release it than April 3?**

**This will be a continuation of the show, picking up a couple of weeks after "D-Stabilized". "Phantom Planet" has not occurred, but it might in future chapters (haven't decided yet). That being said, this will be episode 52 of the show. It will continue the story of Danny's heroic deeds to protect Amity Park. There will be new characters, villains, and locations as the story goes on. There will be many ideas and concepts from Butch Hartman and fellow fanfiction authors, which I will not disclose, yet (wink wink). I will try and keep the story format very similar to the show, but I also want to add my own twist to it.**

**I was planning on having Chapter 2 be for Episode 52 and have Chapter 1 be an informative chapter; explaining the timeline of Danny Phantom and everyone's age, etc. But that would require days, if not weeks, of additional research. So I said "%&$# it", Danny got his powers at 14 in March 2004 (a month prior to pilot airdate), it's now summer of 2005 and he's 16. Tucker and Sam are also 16. Jazz is 18 and about to go to college. You can figure out the rest. Danielle; yes, she will be in the story; is still physically 12.**

**Special thanks to Butch Hartman for creating such an amazing series and for sharing so many ideas and concepts in his "10 Years Later" videos; Guy Moon for creating two awesome versions of the Danny Phantom theme song (please release the unreleased third version, I'm very curious about how it sounds), and to my insane imagination that won't shut up for the next few years.**

**Ver. 1.0.2 (1/3/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Accidentally set the story in 2007 instead of 2005. Fixed.**

**Update (1.0.2): Grammatical errors fixed.**

**Now, without further ado, it's time to go ghost!**

**Happy 15****th**** Anniversary, Danny Phantom!**

**Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, because if I did, I would have kept the show running to this day. All rights belong to their rightful owners, Butch Hartman, and all others. Okay, let's begin the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was a clear night in Amity Park. The town's protector and savior, Danny Phantom was doing his last round of patrolling the area before calling it in for the night.

"No signs of ghost activity here," Danny said to himself as he flew between the buildings, "Well, better call it a night. I've already captured at least 12 ghosts tonight, including the Box Ghost for the third time this week."

"You cannot keep me in this cylindrical container!" a voice cried out from the Fenton Thermos clipped to Danny's hip, "I am the Box Ghost! And you will feel my wraith!"

"***Yawn* **Who would have thought I'd still have long nights, even during summer vacation," said Danny as he changed directions and began flying back to the Fenton Works to return the ghosts to the Ghost Zone and get some much-needed sleep.

But a sudden gasp and his ghost sense going off changed that plan. Danny stopped and floated in the air; looking around to see where the ghost was. Down below, he noticed a strange green light emitting from an alleyway.

"Guess I've got a late-night troublemaker."

Danny flew down towards the alley. As he approached, the light began to fade away. By the time Danny entered the light was gone. He landed on the ground and looked around. There was no sign of any ghost or the source of the mysterious light. Taking another moment to doublecheck, Danny shrugged and turned to leave.

***Squelch***

"Huh?"

Danny looked down and saw that he had stepped in a small puddle of ectoplasm. Upon closer examination, he noticed that the texture of this particular ectoplasm was similar to butter; the ghost couldn't have gone far. A drop of the substance fell into the puddle from above; Danny looked up and saw a large ghostly blob.

"Found you!" Danny exclaimed, causing the ghost to fly off and Danny to give chase.

The two flew over the rooftops, Danny closing in on the ghost. Danny fired a couple of ghost rays at the ghost, but the ghost dodged them. The ghost formed a ball of the ectoplasm the size of Danny's head in its hand and chucked it at Danny. The half-ghost was flying too fast to react before the projectile slammed into his chest. It sent him flying towards one of the nearby buildings and slamming him against a wall. Danny tried to move, but he found it difficult because the ectoplasm was as thick as paste.

"What is this stuff?"

To add to Danny's confusion, the ectoplasm began to harden and encase Danny, keeping him glued to the building. He struggled as hard as he could, but even with his enhanced strength, Danny couldn't break free. He looked up just in time to see the ghost vanish into the distance.

"Great," Danny muttered, "what a way to end the night."

He glared down at the cocoon that entrapped him and mentally kicked himself as he went intangible and phased through the wall of the building.

"I can't believe I forgot to go intangible," Danny sighed as he appeared above the building, "I'm still such an idiot!"

Deciding to go after the ghost another night, Danny flew off towards home. The Box Ghost could be heard laughing from within the Thermos, ticking Danny off.

"Keep it up, chuckles. Next time we head for the Ghost Zone you might be end up at the hands of Pandora's rage," he warned the ghost, causing him to become silent, "***Sigh* **Tucker's gonna have a laugh when I tell him and Sam about this."

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Jumping Over the Candlestick (Episode 52)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny was eating lunch with Sam and Tucker at the Nasty Burger. Tucker was laughing uncontrollably as Danny and Sam glared at him.

"Oh, knock it off, Tucker!" Sam scowled, "It's not that funny."

"It totally is," Tucker gasped, wiping a tear from his eye, "Danny… you've had your ghost powers for almost two years now, and you _still _forget about going intangible to avoid projectiles."

Danny sighed.

"Yeah, you're not wrong. I really need to stop forgetting about that."

"Don't worry about it, Danny," said a voice behind him, making him jump a little.

The trio looked over and saw Jazz standing there.

"Oh, hey, Jazz," said Danny, "What brings you here?"

"What? I can't hang out with my little brother?"

"Uh…"

"I'm just messing with you, Danny," Jazz giggled, "I wanted to let you know that mom and dad want us back home in about an hour to show us something."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"What is it? A new anti-ghost weapon?"

"I dunno," Jazz shrugged, "All I can say is that dad seemed really excited about it. Not that he's ever _not _excited about some new ghost hunting device."

"Uh huh."

Jazz awkwardly stood there as no one said anything for a few seconds.

"Yeah, well, I just wanted to let you know," said Jazz, "I'll, uh, head back home now. Bye."

"Uh, okay… bye."

Danny barely said it in time as Jazz backed away and left the Nasty Burger. He turned to Tucker and Sam, who were just as confused as he was.

"What was that all about?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Since when does Jazz ever come look for you and tell you about your parent's new device?" Tucker asked.

"She's been acting like this these past couple of weeks," Danny answered before taking a sip of his drink.

"Any reason why?" Tucker asked.

"Beats me. Maybe she's just being overprotective," Danny shrugged, "I mean, she _is _leaving for college soon."

"Maybe she wants just wants to spent more time with you, Danny," said Sam, "You know how much she likes to help us out when we fight ghosts."

Tucker gave Sam a look that told her he wasn't convinced.

"What? She's gotten better over time," Sam argued.

"To be fair, she _has _put me in the Thermos a less often over time. She hasn't done that in a long time," said Danny, "But I spend plenty of time with her."

"Really?" Sam asked, "When?"

"Oh, you know, at home. We talk. And she helps me train. And sometimes we work together to take on ghosts."

Tucker and Sam deadpanned.

"Dude, you only have her help when you're fighting the Box Ghost," said Tucker.

"Or any ghost weaker than him. Which isn't a long list," Sam added.

"What!? Pffft. That's not true. She helps against other ghosts."

"Name one," Tucker and Sam said at the same time.

"Last week, against Technus."

"That was with us, not Jazz," said Tucker.

"Uh… about three days ago, against Skulker."

"Yeah, she showed up at the last second to give you another Thermos when you already had one on you," said Sam.

"Jeez, guys, give me a break here. Well, there was the time-"

"Desiree was with me," said Sam.

"Lunch Lady Ghost was with me," said Tucker.

"But-"

"And the three times with Vlad in the past few months have been with us."

Danny sighed in defeat.

"Alright! Alright! I get it! Fine. I'll take her out on patrol with me tonight and you guys can have the night off."

"I could work with that," said Tucker, "A night off would be a nice change."

"A good night's rest for once…" Sam pondered, "I guess one night couldn't hurt."

"There, see? Problem solved," said Danny.

Tucker and Sam weren't so sure at first but shrugged it off.

"So, what should we do today? We still have a few weeks until we start our junior year, so we better enjoy the time we have left," said Danny.

Sam's face brightened up and she pulled out a museum brochure.

"There's a wax figure exhibit that will be in Amity Park for the next week. Why don't we head over and check it out!" she suggested, "I heard they'll have at least 40 different figures of famous people and groups."

Her best friends didn't seem as excited as her.

"Well, no offense, Sam," said Tucker, "But I really don't see the point of looking at statues of celebrities made of wax. I mean, that's like the last place I'd want to be."

"And what kind of place would that be?" Sam asked, slightly annoyed.

"One with no technology."

Sam scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"What about you, Danny?" she asked, "I know you don't have any plans. Wanna go?"

"Well…"

"They have an exhibit on Neil Armstrong. In full space attire," she said convincingly.

Danny could hold back a smile.

"Alright, you've got me," he admitted, "I guess checking out a wax museum might be interesting."

Tucker shook his head.

"Dude, you will snap at anything involved with space."

"Aw, come on, Tucker. Who knows, maybe you'll find something interesting there," said Danny.

"Uh huh… sure."

As Danny finished his drink, he noticed Tucker giving a look.

"What?"

Tucker jerked his head towards Sam, who was too busy reading the brochure to pay any attention to their conversation. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Dude, come on. You can't be _that _clueless."

Danny turned away, slightly blushing.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Tucker."

Tucker sighed and got up.

"I gotta take care of business. I'll be right back."

Tucker winked at Danny as he left to use the restroom, leaving him and Sam alone. Sam looked up and noticed Danny looking slightly uncomfortable.

"You alright, Danny? You look nervous about something."

"What, me!? Nervous? Ha! Nothing wrong with me! Yup. Just, uh, feeling a bit hot in here."

"Danny, the AC is cranked to maximum, any colder and we'd need jackets," said Sam as she gave him a look, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Danny sighed.

"Actually, Sam-"

Danny gasped as his ghost sense went off.

"Darn. Why now?" he muttered as he and Sam looked around to see where the ghost was.

"Do you see anything?" Sam asked.

Danny shook his head. Almost a minute went by as they looked around. No sign of any ghost, or anyone screaming in terror.

"Maybe just someone flying by?" Sam asked.

"Maybe."

Tucker arrived a moment later.

"Anything happen while I was away?" he asked smugly.

Danny gave him a look.

"Danny's ghost sense went off, but nothing to see here," Sam replied.

"Is that code for something?" Tucker smirked.

Danny glared at Tucker.

"So you guys ready to go to the museum?" Sam asked them.

Danny turned in confusion.

"Huh? Oh, right! Um, yeah, sure. Come on, Tuck. Let's go."

"Wait, what1? I never said-"

"Well, let's get going," said Sam as she grabbed the two and practically dragged them out the door.

"No, wait! I don't want to-"

"Tucker, shut up. One day in a museum isn't going to kill you," Sam remarked.

The three didn't notice, but as they left the Nasty Burger, the ghost that Danny chased last night phased their blob of a head through the ceiling; their two red eyes followed the trio.

"Wax… museum…" he moaned in a watery voice as disappeared back into the ceiling.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz was laying in her bed, trying to read another of her dozens of psychology books she was studying from. She slammed it shut and tossed to the ground, letting out a sigh of defeat.

"I wish I could be more help to Danny when he's out fighting. Like Sam and Tucker."

She looked over to her dresser next to her bed where a photo of her and Danny from when they were younger was displayed next to Bearbert Einstein.

"I wish I wasn't such a goof in the field," she sighed, "Not as big as dad, thankfully."

She reached over for another of her textbooks when a loud buzzing and beeping started echoing throughout the Fenton Works. Jazz covered her ears and moaned in annoyance. She knew where the noise was coming from and marched out of her room. She made her way downstairs and entered the labs. The first thing she saw was patches of ectoplasm covering everything, including Jack and Maddie.

"What are you two up to now?" Jazz yelled over the noise.

The noise died down to a silence as Jack and Maddie turned toward their irritated daughter. Jack had a grin that stretched from ear to ear as he revealed the new device he and Maddie had been working on the past week.

"Jazzerincess, I'm glad you asked," said Jack as he dramatically held up the device, "This is the Fenton Ghost Chiller. It fires an ectoplasmic resin that freezes any ghost in place that it hits! The resin instantly solidifies and freezes the moment it makes contract with a ghost."

The Chiller appeared to be a modified Fenton Foamer*****, but it was about three-quarters the size and the end of the gun was spherical instead of cylindrical. At the other end of the weapon, there was a tank filled with icy-blue colored resin. Jazz's interest was piqued.

"Okay, but why is the thing SO LOUD!?"

"That's because the resin must be constantly stirred inside the Chiller," Maddie explained, "Otherwise, the resin will harden and clog the device."

"Took us two days to solve that problem," said Jack, "But thanks to your mother's brilliant mind, she managed to do it! Now, we can freeze any ectoplasmic entity that comes out way. Like this!"

Jack aimed the weapon at a patch of green on the wall.

"Uh, dad?" Jazz asked nervously, lifting a finger, "I don't think that's a good-"

Too late, Jack fired the Chiller at the wall. A blob of blue resin flew through the air towards the ectoplasm. Of course, being Jack Fenton, his aim was not true and hit a foot above the intended target. The resin bounced off the wall and flew directly at Jack's head. The projectile slammed right into Jack's face and began to freeze the ectoplasm that was stuck in his hair. A second later, Jack's hair was spiking out everywhere, trapped in icicles.

"Ha!" Jack exclaimed, oblivious to his goof up and standing proudly, "Works like a charm! I love new ghost devices!"

Jazz just facepalmed and shook her head in disbelief.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the wax museum, Danny, Sam, and Tucker were wandering around and looking at the wax figures.

"I've got to say, Sam," said Danny as he examined a wax figure holding a candle stick, "I was a bit skeptical about this at first. But this place is quite interesting."

"That's a bit unexpected, even from you, Danny," she replied.

"Well, the place does seem to be a bit creepy," he admitted, "and even though I haven't seen the Armstrong exhibit, I really do find it interesting."

"I'm with Danny on the creepy part," said Tucker as he diverted from the two to check out a particular exhibit.

Danny noticed a wax exhibit for the heavy metal band. It was no Dumpty Humpty, but Sam would still like it, maybe.

"Let's check this exhibit out," he told her and the two walked over to it.

Sam took one look at it and turned to Danny.

"You didn't show this to me just because I'm goth, did you?"

"Of course not," said Danny, "I've seen their albums in your room."

"Really?" Sam replied, somewhat surprised, "I didn't know you actually paid attention to what I listen to."

"I _did _give you one of their albums for your birthday back in the sixth grade."

Sam tapped her chin, remembering the gift.

"I thought you forgot about that," she said, slightly blushing.

"Why? Is it weird that I remembered?" he asked, slightly feeling awkward.

"No, not at all," said Sam, "It's actually kind of… sweet."

"I'm sorry, what?" Danny asked, not catching the last part of Sam's answer.

"Uh, nothing. Just saying that it's not weird," she said before glancing over at Tucker, "But I don't think anything would be weirder than _that_."

Danny looked over at Tucker and saw him flirting with a wax figure of Angelina Jolie.

"So… you doing anything later?" Tucker asked the statue.

"Tucker?"

Tucker's face showed the awkwardness as he slowly turned and saw Danny and Sam standing next to him, not sure how to react to his behavior.

"Uh… I can explain."

"Oh, _can you_?" Sam asked.

Before Tucker could futilely defend himself, Danny gasped, and a ghostly mist escaped from his mouth. Suddenly, museum visitors began running and screaming from one of the rooms of the museum. The trio rushed inside and saw what could only be described as Danny's father if he just two large marshmallows with large arms and legs, red triangular eyes, and skin made of green wax. On top of the ghost's head was a wick and a small green ghostly flame.

"That's the same ghost from last night!" Danny exclaimed.

"He's a bit bigger than you made him out to be, Danny," Tucker noted.

"Now that you mention it, he does look bigger," said Danny, "Doesn't matter. Cover me!"

Danny hid behind Tucker and Sam and a white light flashed behind them. A second later, Danny Phantom hovered above them and flew towards the ghost. As the ghost lurched around the room, Danny stopped a few feet away from it.

"Hey, don't you know there's an entry fee to enter the museum?!" Danny quipped.

The ghost turned to face the half-ghost teenager.

"Phan… tom…" the ghost moaned in a watery voice as a green flame on his head began to burn stronger and larger.

The ghost held his hands above his body and formed a blob of ectoplasm in each. He heaved them at Danny. The hero flew towards the ghost, dodging the projectiles with ease. The ghost kept throwing the orbs at Danny, but not one hit the evading hero. Danny pulled his arm back and threw a fist into the ghost's face.

***SPLORT***

"Huh?"

Danny's right fist had sunk into the ghost's face and it was now stuck inside, like glue. The ghost's eyes slid from within the indentation and glared at Danny.

"Uh oh…"

The ghost grabbed Danny by his torso, released his hand, and heaved him across the room. Danny screamed through the air and crashed into two wax figures. One of the them was the Neil Armstrong figure. Danny sat up, slightly dazed. Tucker was standing nearby, chuckling.

"Dude, you seriously need to-"

"Remember to go intangible," Danny finished, annoyed, "I know, thanks for the reminder."

"Not helping, Tucker!" Sam scowled.

Danny turned back to the ghost as it bellowed into the air and began to grow larger, now twice Danny's height.

"Tucker, Sam! Get to someplace safe!" Danny told them as he got back to his feet to face his foe once more.

Tucker and Sam turned and ran to a safe distance to watch the fight. Danny flew back up into the air and the two combatants stared at each other.

"So," said the ghost, now able to speak clearly, "_you _are the famed half-ghost I've heard so many stories about. How anticlimactic."

"Sorry to disappoint you, hothead," Danny retorted, "Why don't you crawl back to whatever ghost portal you came out of and get back to performing your job as a ghostly torch?"

"Who are you calling a 'hothead', child!" the ghost asked in anger, "I am Wick, the Ghost of Wax!"

"Seriously?" Danny asked, deadpanning, "You sound as boring as the Box Ghost."

Wick glared at the teenager before opening his mouth. A ball of green fire began of form and get larger inside. The wax ghost released a ghost ray imbued with green flames.

"Whoa!" Danny exclaimed as he flew out of the way.

"Sam? You've got a Thermos on you, right?" Tucker asked her.

The two were hiding behind the wall that led to the room, each on opposite ends.

"Me!? I thought you had it!" Sam exclaimed.

They blinked a couple of times as they processed the situation they were now in.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz and Maddie were having a quiet lunch in the kitchen, talking about Jazz leaving for college soon, with the TV on in the background. Jazz was excited to leave, but she was also a little sad about it.

"Just think of all the new people you'll meet, sweetie!" Maddie exclaimed, "And, who knows? Maybe you'll meet the love of your life there, too! I know I did."

"And so did I!" Jack exclaimed, who poked his head into the kitchen, revealing the progress made on him deicing his hair, which was only halfway complete, before disappearing back downstairs.

"Hmm… maybe," Jazz replied, staring into space.

Maddie raised an eyebrow as she removed her goggles and hood.

"Jazz, is something wrong, dear?" she asked with concern, "Are you nervous about leaving?"

Jazz turned to her mother.

"No, not really. It will be nice to finally be an independent adult, away from the craziness that happens around here."

"Jazz…"

"Alright, fine. I've been feeling a little down lately. I've wanted to spend some time with Danny and hang out before I leave. Like we did when we were little. But he's always busy, either with Tucker and Sam or-"

Jazz stopped herself before she revealed Danny's secret by accident.

"Or what?"

"Uh, I meant either with Tucker _or _Sam… or both."

Their conversation was interrupted by a news report.

"This is Tiffany Snow, with Action News, and this is the Ghost Emergency Broadcasting System. Reports are pouring in about a giant ghost attacking the wax museum here in Amity Park."

"Ghost?" Jack asked, poking his head back in the kitchen, "Did someone mention a ghost attack!?"

"Reports claim that the town hero, Danny Phantom, is battling the ghost as we speak, but appears to be having trouble handling the ghost. Here's Lance Thunder with the Ghost Weather!"

The camera changed to Lance standing before the wax museum, where green lights flashed from within. Danny is thrown through a wall, but immediately got back up and flew back inside the museum.

"As you can see, Phantom is being tossed around, trying to defeat this new ghost."

***CRASH***

Wick could be seen rocketing up in the air from a lucky hit from Danny. A few dozen feet In the air, Wick shook his head and glared down at an approaching Danny Phantom. Wick used both his hands to make a massive ball of wax and heaved it at Danny. The orb slammed into Danny and sent him crashing through the museum roof; ectoplasmic wax flew everywhere.

"All citizens are to keep a safe distance away from the wax museum and-"

***SPLAT***

Lance and the camera get coated in wax.

"NO! NOT THE HAIR!"

Jazz nervously turned to her parents.

"The ghost-kid!" Jack exclaimed, holding up the Ghost Chiller, "Maddie, get the RV ready! Now's our chance to catch that ghost!"

Jazz watched as her parents hurried out the door to capture Danny. In the RV******, Jack and Maddie got themselves seated and readied the RV weapons. They were surprised when Jazz opened the door and entered the RV.

"Jazz what are you-"

"This might be my last chance to hunt ghosts before I leave," she said, "Might as well take this chance to do something with my parents."

Jack and Maddie gave each other a look and shrugged before Jack floored it.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny dodged another ball of wax thrown at him and fired multiple ghost rays at Wick. Each attack hit Wick, but they might as well have been wet tissue paper; it did nothing.

"I don't get it," Danny muttered, "It's as though my attacks aren't damaging him. And the longer I fight him, the bigger he seems to be getting."

Wick launched another fireball from his mouth at Danny. Learning from his mistakes, Danny went intangible and the flaming projectile phased through him, leaving Danny unscathed.

"Alright," Danny growled as he went tangible, "time to fight fire with ice."

Danny's eyes turned icy-blue and he fired a cryo-ghost ray at Wick. The attack hit Wick's right shoulder and encased the area in ice.

"Yes!" Danny exclaimed, "It's working!"

Wick looked down at the ice and, with a simple shrug, broke free from the ice.

"Or maybe not. But it does seem to slow him down."

Danny fired cryo-ghost rays from both hands, this time not relenting. Wick tried to approach Danny, but the ice encasing him was spreading fast.

"Come on… _come on_…" Danny moaned, straining against the energy draining from his body.

Wick reached in vain into the air before becoming fully encased in ice and froze in place. Danny stopped firing his ghost rays and sighed in relief.

"Well… that was quite the workout," he joked as he approached the frozen ghost, "Tucker! Sam!"

His friends poked their heads from the entryway, their faces full of guilt.

"Introduce this statue to the Fenton Thermos!"

Tucker and Sam gave each other a nervous look.

"Uh, Danny? We, uh… we don't have one," Tucker admitted.

Danny's smile fell and he blinked a couple of times.

"Wait, what?"

"We don't have a Thermos," Sam repeated, biting her lower lip.

"Well, we should be safe for now. As long as he remains- URK!"

"Danny!" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

Wick managed to free himself from the ice when no one was looking and grabbed Danny by the neck, lifting him in the air.

"Enough games!" Wick yelled, "I will not be defeated by a mere child!"

Danny lifted his hands to blast Wick with a cryo-ghost ray, but Wick launched a ball of wax and covered Danny's hands with wax, preventing Danny from attacking. Tucker looked around for something to help Danny.

"Not so powerful without your ice powers, are you?" Wick taunted.

Danny responded with a blast from his cryo-eye beams into Wick's eyes. Wick groaned in pain before slamming Danny into the ground. Danny tried to get back up, but Wick placed a foot on his back, covering him in wax. He tried to struggle free, but it was practically impossible.

"It's no use, Phantom! No one can escape my body of wax! And once I've trapped you inside my body, trapping you forever inside, I will unleash an army of wax minions and take over the world!"

"Man," Danny moaned, "what is it with ghosts and taking over the world?"

"Hey! Tall, green, and ugly!"

"Huh?" Wick exclaimed as he turned to the direction the voice came from.

***SPLORT***

Wick went cross-eyed, staring at an arm of the Neil Armstrong wax figure embedded in his face. Tucker raised his arms in victory.

"Tucker, why would you do that!?" Sam shouted.

"What? I'm trying to help Danny!"

Sam facepalmed.

"The ghost is made of _wax_. You just threw a _wax _arm at him."

Tucker looked up at Wick and saw the wax figurine's arm getting absorbed into the ghost's body, causing him to grow slightly larger.

"Oops."

"Uh, guys?" Danny called out, "A little help!?"

Tucker and Sam turned to Danny, who was now up to his chest in wax. They tried to rush over to his side, but Wick launched a couple of blobs at wax at them, gluing their feet to the ground. They tried to pull free, but it was no use. Danny had no way of escaping!

"Danny!" Sam cried out.

***CRASH***

Something came crashing into the museum. The dust settled as Jack and Maddie exited the Fenton RV.

"Jack!" Maddie exclaimed, "There they are! Blast them with the Ghost Chiller!"

Jack look to where his wife was pointing and saw the huge wax ghost and the ghost-boy he and Maddie have spent nearly two years trying to capture or destroy.

"Don't worry, kids!" Jack shouted as he aimed the Chiller directly at Danny, "We'll handle these two ghosts and free you two in no time!"

Jazz peaked out of the RV and gasped. Her brother was being engulfed by a monstrous ghost and her parents were about to capture him and do God knows what to him in their lab. As Jack prepared to fire the weapon, Jazz "tripped" over herself and bumped into him.

"Oops."

Jack pulled the trigger just as Jazz knocked into him, causing him to aim the Chiller at a higher angle. The blue resin flew through the air towards Wick's head. Instead of hitting the ghost, it hit the green flame on his head, instantly extinguishing it. Wick's eyes widened in fear.

"NO! MY LIGHT!" he screamed.

Suddenly, Wick's leg became covered in ice before being shattered into pieces and Danny jumped away from the ghost, landing on the ground. Wick looked down at his slightly smaller leg. A second later, wax slowly oozed from his torso and reformed the damaged leg.

"Rrrrggghhh!" Wick graoned, "This isn't over, Phantom! You haven't seen the last of me!"

With that, Wick went intangible and disappeared into the floor. As soon as he was gone, the wax trapping Tucker and Sam also vanished, freeing their feet. Danny got up onto one knee and looked up.

"Oh, great," he moaned when he noticed Jack and Maddie standing over him and the Ghost Chiller pointed directly at his head.

"We've got you know, ghost!" Maddie said with venom.

"Any last-"

Before Jack could finish his question, a white beam hit Danny in the chest and began to pull him away. He yelled as he was trapped inside the Fenton Thermos Jazz was holding.

"Gotcha!" she said victoriously as she slammed the cap on.

Jack and Maddie stared at her in disbelief.

"I did it! I caught a ghost!" Jazz squeeled as she "accidentally" tripped over herself again and dropped the Thermos.

It hit the ground at the perfect angle and activated, releasing Danny Phantom from the storage device. Laying on the ground, he looked around confused. Jazz glanced over and winked at him. Danny gave her a small smile as he turned invisible.

"No!" Jack exclaimed, running over to the Thermos and picking it up, "Darn. We almost had that ghost-boy."

Jazz put on her sad eyes and hugged her father.

"I'm sorry, dad. I was just trying to help."

She glanced over to Tucker and Sam, where she saw the flash of white light, followed by her brother appearing between his friends.

"Aw, it's alright, princess," Jack said, trying to comfort her and putting an arm around her shoulders, "You did just fine. I'm not mad. But mark my words, ghost-kid! I will capture one day!"

Maddie made her way over to Danny, Tucker, and Sam.

"I'm glad you three are okay. I didn't know you were interested in wax museums, Danny."

"Neither did I, until Sam invited us to join her and visit."

"More like dragged us," Tucker interjected, earning him a kick in the shins from Sam.

"Well, you three have seen enough ghosts for one day. Why don't you all head on home in case those vile ghosts decide to return."

"Yeah," Danny yawned, "Sure thing, mom."

Tucker and Sam gave him a concerned look.

"You okay, Danny? You're looking a bit wiped out," said Tucker.

"I'll walk them home, mom," said Jazz as she approached the group, "Spend a little quality time with my little brother."

"Aw, Jazz, that's so sweet," said Madde, "You kids don't mind, do you?"

"Uh, no offense, Mrs. Fenton," said Sam, "but we're not kids anymore. But we don't mind Jazz tagging along. Right, guys?"

"I'm fine with it," Tucker replied, "Danny?"

The half-ghost was becoming very groggy.

"Danny?"

"Hm? Oh, sure, that's ***yawn* **fine."

"Oh, wow, look at the time," Jazz said nonchalantly, "It's getting late. We should get you three to your homes before it gets too late."

Before the other members of Team Phantom could argue, Jazz started pushing them out of the partially destroyed museum to avoid any further complications. Maddie walked over to Jack, who was wiping some wax off the Chiller. He examined it close to his eye and accidentally fired it, freezing his hair again.

"Yup, still works!"

Outside, the others noticed Danny was practically moving like a slug. As soon as they were out of sight of anyone, Danny stopped.

"Danny? What's wrong?" Jazz asked.

Before Danny could answer, everything went black.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny woke up with a start and found himself laying in his bed.

"Whoa, easy, little brother," said Jazz, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Where…?"

"We brought you home," said Tucker, "You just lost consciousness not even a minute after we left the museum."

Danny looked around to confirm where he was. He looked outside and saw that the sun was setting and noticed Sam was also by his bedside.

"How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of hours," Sam replied, "How are you feeling, Danny?"

"I'm fine. That last battle really took a toll on me. I felt like I had used almost all my energy."

Sam sighed in relief.

"Well, I'm glad you're fine."

"Yeah, you sure are," Tucker smirked, causing Sam to slightly blush.

"I don't understand; how come none of my attacks even scratch that ghost?"

"Well, you did free yourself using your ice powers," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, but Wick was able to repair his own body. And my ice powers could only slow him down."

Jazz looked at Danny's hands and saw something foreign on them.

"Danny, what is that on your hands?"

"Huh?"

Danny looked down and saw some green stuff on his hands.

"Were you bleeding ectoplasm!?"

He wiped it off with his thumb and rubbed it between his finger.

"It's… wax?"

"Wax?" Jazz asked, "The same stuff Wick was made out of?"

"Yeah," Danny replied, brushing the wax off his hands and onto the floor.

Suddenly, the tiny pile of wax began to shake and form into a tiny version of Wick. It jumped up and tried to attack Tucker, causing him to shriek. Danny and Jazz's quick reflexes allowed them to stun the ghost midair with a normal ghost ray, pull out a Fenton Thermos, and capture the small wax goon before it could do anything.

"Do you always have one of those on you?" Danny asked his sister, raising an eyebrow as she secured the Thermos.

"Never hurts to be prepared for anything."

"That's strange," said Sam.

"What, Tucker shrieking like a little girl?" Danny quipped.

"Hey!"

"No. That small ghost. You were able to hurt it with your normal ghost ray."

"Your right," said Danny, "It looked just like Wick, but it couldn't withstand a blast. Hmm."

"What are you thinking, Danny?" Tucker asked.

"I think I'm starting to understand what Wick is up to. Tucker, see if there have been any break-ins at wax museums recently."

Tucker pulled out his PDA and searched online.

"Yeah, there have been 3 wax museums that had been broken into in the past month alone across the globe. The only thing found was… green puddles of wax?"

"So he _is _using the wax figures to make himself bigger and stronger!" Sam exclaimed, "That would explain why Wick got larger when Tucker threw that wax arm at him."

"I think it's worse than that, Sam."

"What do you mean, Danny?"

He got from his bed and stared out the window.

"When I was battling Wick, he didn't even once try to dodge any of my attacks. It was as if he _wanted _to get hit by my ghost rays. And every time one did hit him, they didn't deflect off his body or even stun him. I think he was actually absorbing the energy from my ghost rays to make himself stronger!"

Not a moment too soon, a bright green light flashed in the distance. The others rushed beside Danny and looked into the distance as the light died down.

"Jazz? Where are our parents?"

Jazz gulped.

"They're still at the museum.'

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jack blasted goon after goon with the Ghost Chiller and Maddie sent every one she shot with the Fenton Bazookainto the Ghost Zone. But for every "mini-Wick" they defeated, 5 more would take its place. But that didn't stop the Fentons from fighting.

"Ha-ha! Take this, ghost!" Jack exclaimed as he froze another goon in place.

"Jack, they're coming from the central room of the museum!" Maddie called out as she batted a goon into another with the bazooka.

"I can't reach it from here! There are too many!"

"I'm having the same problem as well!" she called back, "Not that _not_ enjoying the beating I'm giving."

Outside, Danny, in his ghost form, landed before the entrance of the green light emitting museum as Jazz pulled up in her car and exited it with Tucker and Sam. Everyone had a Fenton Phone on.

"So, what's the plan?" Tucker asked.

Danny turned around.

"Alright, here's what we do," he said as he handed Sam a Fenton Wrist Ray, "Tucker, you will hack into the buildings electrical system and turn all the lights off on my command. Once you do that, me and Sam will go in and rescue my parents from Wick's goons."

"How will you deal with Wick?" Sam asked as she slipped the device on her wrist.

Danny rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.

"I, uh, haven't really thought that far yet."

"Wonderful," Sam deadpanned.

"What can I do, Danny?" Jazz asked.

"Jazz, I need you to get inside the RV," he said, pointing a thumb towards the vehicle that was parked a few feet from the museum entrance," Knowing dad, he almost definitely left the doors unlocked. I need you to be ready in case Wick or his goons are too much for me to handle alone."

"Got it."

"Hold on, Danny," said Sam, "Why only you and Jazz? My wrist ray can-"

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Riiight… Wick would just absorb the attack."

"Alright, let's get to work!"

Back inside the museum, Jack and Maddie were now back-to-back and surrounded by dozens of Wick's goons. As the wax ghosts closed in on them, the lights suddenly went out. Before Jack and Maddie could react, green energy rays came flying out of nowhere, emitting short bursts of light in the room and hitting the goons, turning them into puddles of ghostly green wax. Moments later, the firing ceased, and the lights turned back on. Jack and Maddie looked around and noticed the puddles of wax.

"Man, we're good," Jack said stoically, "No ghost is too much for Jack Fenton!"

Danny and Sam peaked inside the room to see the result of their work.

"Alright, my parents are safe. Tucker, meet us in the room where I first fought Wick."

"On my way."

A minute later, the three were together at the entryway to the room.

"Tucker, why are the lights still off in this room?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," he replied, looking at his PDA, "maybe they disconnected the power to this room for repairs?"

Danny held up a hand and began to illuminate the room with an orb of light he created using his photokinesis*******. The light illuminated the room a little, but not entirely. Danny slowly looked around, Sam and Tucker following close behind.

***SPLORT***

"Eww, did I just step in another mess from Cujo?" Sam asked, looking disgusted.

Danny and Tucker looked down.

"No, it's wax," said Danny.

"Phew," Sam sighed, "Good. I'd hate to throw out these boots."

"Uh, guys? Is it just me, or is the puddle of wax _moving_?" Tucker asked nervously.

Danny and Sam looked and saw that the wax _was _moving. It oozed away from the group, towards the darkness. They followed it silently for a few seconds. Danny stopped before a wall.

"Hm… where did it go?" he pondered, "It just melted into the wall."

"Uh… Danny?" Tucker asked.

He turned around and saw Tucker and Sam looking up in terror.

"Up there," Sam said nervously, pointing up.

Danny looked up and saw an enormous Wick glaring down upon them.

"Tucker. Sam," Danny said as his fists began to glow blue.

Wick slammed his giant fists down onto the trio. Danny held up his hands and protected them with a cryo-ghost shield. He took the moment to grab Tucker and Sam, go intangible, and fly them out of the room.

"Get to the RV!" he told his friends before flying back to engage Wick.

Wick opened his mouth and unleashed a massive fireball at Danny. Watching the projectile rushing towards him, Danny surrounded himself in another cryo-shield. The fire collided with the ice and created a small explosion. Danny wasn't hurt, but the force sent him flying into the ground, hard. Danny lifted himself back up and noticed Sam and Tucker hadn't left yet.

"Why are you guys still here!? RUN!" he shouted at them before dodging another fireball.

Outside, Jazz was sitting in the driver's seat of the Fenton RV, resting her arms and head against the steering wheel and thinking back about all the events that had happened over the last couple of years; the first time she saw Danny Phantom, discovering her brother's secret, the CAT test and telling Danny the truth, and all the times she's helped, or tried to help, Danny fight against ghosts.

"I'm going to miss this," she sighed, "Just a few more weeks before I leave for college."

The RV door opened, surprising not only Jazz, but Jack and Maddie as well.

"Jazz? What are you doing here?" Maddie asked, "I thought you were home with Danny."

"Uh…"

Jazz tried to come up with a good excuse.

"I… wanted… to spend more time with you guys! It's part of an experiment I want to try and see how Danny would handle himself when he's home alone with no communication with friends or family."

Jack and Maddie looked at each other, confused.

"Since I'm leaving for college soon, I wanted to see how Danny would react when I'm not around. I changed my mind and decided to cut him off from the rest of the world for just a few hours."

Suddenly, Tucker and Sam came running towards them, both worried and Tucker out of breath.

"What are you two doing here?" Jack asked them, "I thought Jazz took you home."

Before they could answer, Danny Phantom came crashing through the museum wall and landed a few feet from the group. Jack blinked a couple of times before he aimed the Chiller at him.

"Eat Chiller resin, ghost!"

With quick-thinking, Jazz activated one of the RV's weapons and fired a beam of energy at Jack's feet, causing him to jump and miss Danny, again.

"Oops, sorry," she apologized with a fake smile.

The ground began to shake. Everyone turned to the museum and watched as green wax oozed out of the windows and doors of the museum. Before their eyes, the wax came together and formed a towering Wick, his flame burning harshly. The ghost roared into the air, spitting small drops of wax everywhere.

"Ew," Sam groaned, "Why couldn't he be a giant scented candle?"

Jack gritted his teeth and fired the Chiller at Wick. The blue resin bounced off the giant's body and went straight back at Jack. Covered in ectoplasm once again, the resin hit Jack and froze him place. The resin splashed onto Maddie as well and froze her in place as well. Sam frowns at the ghost and grabs the Chiller. She fired a shot a Wick's head, but she was slightly off, almost hitting the tall green flame. Wick growled in anger at the goth.

"Uh… sorry?" Sam said with a nervous smile.

Wick formed a ball of ecto-wax and threw it at her, coating her and Tucker in wax. The RV doors also got splattered with wax.

"Sam! Tucker!" Danny cried out as he got back to his feet and rushed to his friends.

The wax around his friends hardened, trapping them inside. Danny tried to freeze the wax and break it, but it proved useless. He then tried to use his intangibility to phase them out, but he couldn't even penetrate through the wax. Suddenly, he couldn't move his feet. Looking down, Danny noticed that his feet were glued to the ground with wax. A ghostly chuckle got his attention and he glared at Wick.

"Now, fool, you shall witness as I turn everyone you know into my waxy slaves!"

Danny turned and saw red eyes appearing on Sam and Tucker.

"I will raise an army and I will change the world into my own image!"

Danny shot his cryo-ghost rays at the wax at his feet, freezing it. Once fully frozen, he fired normal ghost rays at them, freeing his feet. He glared up at Wick and flew towards Wick.

"Here's my critique of your image!" he shouted as he blasted Wick in the face with a powerful cryo-ghost ray.

The blast caught Wick off guard, dazing him for a moment. Wiping the frost from his face, Wick growled at Danny and smacked him into the ground. Jazz watched as her brother landed on the ground with a thud. She was not happy about that.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt my little brother like that!" she growled.

She looked out the RV window and saw the Chiller. She tried to open the door, but the wax had hardened and trapped her inside. Giving up on the door, she looked around at what tools she had in her hands.

***Ding***

"Of course," she said, slapping her forehead, "I'm inside the RV."

Wick marched over to the stunned Danny Phantom, who was down on one knee, trying to get back up. He looked up as Wick pulled back a fist and prepared to pound him into the ground.

"Hey! Oversized candle!"

Wick turned to the RV in time for Jazz to introduce the anti-ghost ray to his face. The blast was so strong it knocked Wick down onto his back, making a thunderous thud.

"Danny!"

The hero looked over to Jazz in time for her to introduce a Fenton Thermos to his face. Rubbing his nose, he looked over and noticed Jazz waving her hand out of the small portion of the RV window she was able to roll down. Danny smiled and aimed the Thermos at Wick. The white grapple beam erupted from the Thermos and went straight to Wick. But It did something it never has never done before; it wouldn't suck the ghost into the Thermos.

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, deactivating the Thermos, "How is this possible!?"

"Danny!" Jazz called out again, "The Chiller!"

He turned and grabbed the Chiller from Sam's frozen hands.

"Wick seems afraid of the weapon when Sam used it, even though the resin just bounced off Wick's body when dad used it. Why?" Danny pondered as he glanced over to a rising Wick, "Wait a minute… that flame. He ran off earlier when dad extinguished the flame on his head. And he got mad at Sam when she almost did the same. If I could extinguish that flame, maybe it will weaken him enough for me to capture him. But how am I going to be able to do it without Wick noticing?"

Suddenly, the RV drove up beside him.

"I'll keep him distracted, Danny," said Jazz, "You just find a way to freeze that hot-headed… uh… hothead?"

"'A' for effort, Jazz. But I'm not sure if this or my ice powers will be enough.:

"Why not try using them together?"

"Huh?"

"Remember when you told me how you got the Thermos to finally work? Maybe you can do the same thing with the Ghost Chiller!"

Danny gave her smile and nodded. Suddenly, a blob of wax rocketed into Danny, sending him flying and gluing him to a building wall. Jazz glared at Wick and fired another energy blast at him. It didn't stun him this time, brushing it off as if he was shot with a peashooter. Seeing the situation she was now in, Jazz did the fastest three-point-turn in history and floored it. The ghost began to chase after her, completely forgetting about Danny.

"What is it about this wax!?" said Danny as he went intangible and escaped through the wall, "Even my intangibility is useless against the stuff."

He let out a sigh as he phased through the building roof and became tangible.

"Okay, time to take care of Wick."

With that, Danny flew off to catch up to Jazz and Wick.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz sped through Amity Park, avoiding fireballs and blobs of wax while the RV's automatic systems attacked the chasing wax ghost. Wick made a grab for the RV, but Jazz made a hard right turn at an intersection and avoided the attack.

"Danny," Jazz moaned, "where are you?"

She looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Wick was no longer behind her. She looked down the road and sighed.

"Finally lost him."

Suddenly, she was jerked forward in her seat, held back by the seatbelts.

"What's going on!?"

She looked to her left and right and saw that the RV was now completely encased in wax and that it was glued in place. The ground began to rumble. Jazz looked in front of her and saw Wick slowly approaching her.

"How did he get in front of me!?"

Wick loomed over the RV. Jazz aimed all the weapons at the ghost, but they were coated in wax and wouldn't fire. Wick leaned over and glared at the nervous occupant.

"Any last words, human?"

"I've got one!" shouted a voice from above.

"Huh?"

Wick turned around and saw Danny Phantom, wielding the Ghost Chiller, floating half a block away. Upon seeing the half-ghost holding the weapon, Wick began to laugh.

"Ah hah hah hah! You think that little icemaker will hurt me!? That tub of lard and puny goth girl already tried and couldn't lay a scratch on me! What makes you think you will do any better!?"

Danny aimed the Chiller at Wick and began to concentrate his cryo-energy into the device. An icy-blue aura surrounded him and the Chiller as the weapon became enhanced with Danny's energy. Wick stopped laughing.

"Because this time," said Danny, presenting the enhanced Chiller with frost formed at the end of the weapon and a light blue light emitted at the tip, "it's got a little more kick to it."

The ghost of wax realized his error as Danny pulled the trigger. A beam of cryo-energy and resin shot from the device and blasted Wick in the face.

"AAAUUGGHH!" he screamed, "NOOOO!"

The weapon stopped firing, allowing Danny and Jazz to see the result. Wick's face as entirely frozen and his flame was extinguished. The ice quickly spread to the rest of Wick's body, fully coating him in ice. Danny strapped the Chiller to his back and rocketed toward Wick.

"Hey! Oversized candle!"

Wick's eyes darted toward Danny.

"Lights out!"

***WHAM***

Danny's fist shattered Wick's body into hundreds of pieces of frozen wax that rained everywhere. Danny landed beside the RV and watched as the wax that encased the vehicle begin to ooze and break off. Jazz opened the door, showing that she was okay.

"Nice work, Danny."

"Wouldn't have known what to do without you, Jazz."

A ghostly moan could be heard nearby. Danny and Jazz looked over and saw a floating candlewick nearby, trying to escape.

"Jazz?" Danny asked, tossing her the Fenton Thermos, "Would you care to do the honors?"

"My pleasure, little brother."

Jazz uncapped the Fenton Thermos and aimed it at the _real _Wick. The beam grappled to the ghost and began to pull him inside.

"This isn't the end, Danny Phantom! You may have won this time, but I promise you that I will return, stronger and more powerful! Just you waaaaaiiiiit!"

Jazz slapped the cap on the Thermos and handed it to Danny.

"You did great tonight, Jazz."

"Thanks, little brother."

Danny's face then went down.

"Sorry I haven't brought you along with me on patrols lately. I didn't notice it before, but you've really wanted to spend time with me, haven't you."

"Yeah," Jazz sighed, "Honestly, Danny, I'm going to miss this."

"What?"

"This. Catching ghosts, saving the day, watching you do your thing. I'm going to miss all that while I'm away at college, Danny. And I want to spend as much time helping you out as I can."

Danny gave her a small smile.

"Well, why don't I make it up to you by letting you join me on patrol for the next few nights?"

"Really?"

"Think of it as my way of apologizing."

"Then apology accepted, little brother."

The two siblings embraced and entered the RV. Danny reverted back to his human form as he buckled up.

"Come on. Let's go and pick up the others. They're probably worried about where we are," said Jazz.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

With that, Jazz stepped on the gas and headed back to the museum.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

AS soon as Jazz pulled up to the museum, she and Danny were greeted with good news; their parents, Tucker, and Sam were just fine. They were standing at the museum entrance, talking. As soon as Sam caught sight of them, she got the others' attention. As Danny and Jazz stepped out of the RV, Jack crushed them with a bear hug.

"Urk! Dad… can't… breathe…"Danny moaned.

Jack looked down and released his prisoners.

"Sorry, kids. I'm just so glad you two are safe."

"Are you two alright? We saw the two ghosts chase after Jazz, but we were trapped in the resin," Maddie explained as she approached her children, "If it weren't for Tucker and Sam, we'd still be frozen popsicles."

"By the way, Jazz," said Jack, "whatever happened to that ghost?"

"Oh, I lost him somewhere outside the city limits," Jazz lied, "I'm sure he won't be bother us again for a long time."

"Hey, dad? I think this is the new device you and mom finished earlier," Danny said as he handed his father the Ghost Chiller.

"Ah, thank goodness! I was worried I'd never see this puppy again. Well, at least it's now back in good ha- AH!"

Something bumped into the back of Jack's foot, startling him and causing him to jump back and aim the Chiller at it. It took everyone a second to see that it was just a candlestick from one of the wax figures in the museum that had rolled into his foot.

"Well, look at that," said Danny, "Jack jumped over the candlestick."

Everyone laughed at Danny's joke.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** The Fenton Foamer is the weapon first seen in the episode "Fright Night".**

**** The RV is the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle.**

***** Photokinesis is the ability to use ecto-energy to create light.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Hey… so… this wasn't exactly a new chapter of Sonic Adventure: Downfall and Redemption. This is what I would call… another fanfic. Or that's what everyone calls it. Yeah, so, here's the deal; since my spring semester started, I've been out of my mind busy. So busy, that I had to drop one of my classes. Even with that, I'm still swamped with schoolwork. I've hardly even touched SA:D&R, but I promise that a small teaser of what will be in store for future chapters will be released later this week. Unless I already uploaded it. Or next week. LOOK I'M TRYING, DON'T JUDGE ME!**

**In any case, in case you haven't noticed, this was a Danny Phantom fanfic. Fun fact, my penname is just ironic, when I made this account, I had no intentions of writing a Danny Phantom fanfic. Then I watched all the episodes again. Listen, a 30-minute break every day is not enough time for a story like Downfall and Redemption, that requires more time each sitting.**

**So, long story short, I decided I will make a DP fanfic, but it will be short bursts of chapters, or episodes I'd like to call them, so I can at least be somewhat active on FFN, aside from reading other fanfics, of course.**

**In any case, I hope you enjoyed this episode. Like my Sonic fanfic, I have lots of stuff already planned out and listed on a word doc. If I ever have time, I'll try and upload an episode here or there, but once I'm free from college for the summer, my focus will be all on Sonic Adventure… unless I feel like it.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	2. Episode 53: Road Rage

**Welcome back, phans.**

**Finals are over, I have plenty of free time now that it's summer. Time for me to start getting these out. Hopefully one every couple of weeks or so.**

**Ver. 1.0.1 (1/3/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Fixed grammatical errors.**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom, but if I did, I would have shared the rights with Butch Hartman, who I feel should have said rights that Nickelodeon still have. Hey, it's not like Nick is doing anything with it now, right? Also, I would make Danielle a main character as well. No spoilers, she's not showing up yet. Okay, let's begin the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The front door of the Fenton Works opened, and the members of Team Phantom walked out.

"Come on, guys! Let's go!" Sam exclaimed excitedly.

Or, more accurately, two members of Team Phantom were pulled by a slightly energetic goth girl.

"Sam, slow down," Tucker whined, "We have another half hour until the movie even starts!"

"I know!" she said over her shoulder, "But it's _Nightmerica vs Janette_*****, and I've been waiting months for this movie to finally premiere! And I don't want any delays!"

"Sam, relax," said Tucker, "It's just a short 15-minute ride on our scooters. Trust me, we won't have any-"

The three teens stopped dead in their tracks when they noticed someone had shredded the tires on their scooters.

"… Delays?" Tucker finished nervously.

"Way to jinx it, Tucker," Sam muttered.

"How'd this even happen?" Danny asked, kneeling down and inspecting the damage, "The scooters were fine just a minute ago!"

"I have a few guesses," said Sam, "but how are we going to get to the theaters now?"

Suddenly, Sam got an idea and smirked at Danny.

"What?" he asked.

"You could-"

"Oh, no!" Danny exclaimed, "I'm not going to fly the two of you to the theater. But I do have another solution."

Back inside the Fenton Works, Jack in the living room, sitting on the couch, reading an article on the latest in anti-ghost technology and drinking a soda. Danny walked inside and approached his father.

"Hey, dad? Could you do me a favor and drive us to the theater?"

Jack looked up at his son and raised an eyebrow.

"Danny, I thought you and your friends had motorized scooters, don't you?"

"We do, but someone slashed our tires," Danny explained, "So, could you drive us?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jack honked the RV horn multiple times as he sped through the streets at full speed. Danny, Tucker, and Sam were in for a ride.

"Dad!" Danny shouted, "I said the movie started in half an hour! We're not in a rush!"

Jack didn't hear Danny as he was too busy sticking head out the window yelling at the other drivers.

"Get out of my way! Do you know who I am!? Can't you see the flashing emergency lights on top of this baby!?"

"Dad, you never installed emergency lights on top of the RV!" Danny exclaimed.

Jack turned to face his son.

"I didn't? Hm… that would explain why no one stopped at the intersections to let me through last week… and why those four patrol cars were going to same place I was going…"

"Mr. Fenton, look out!" Tucker exclaimed, pointing towards the semitruck coming at them since Jack absentmindedly drive on the wrong side of the road.

Jack looked forward and quickly jerked the wheel to the right, getting back onto the right side of the road.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The normally calm atmosphere outside the theater was instantly changed to chaos as Jack wormed the RV through the parking lot before sliding into and empty spot on the side. The RV door opened, followed by Danny, Tucker, and Sam wobbling out of the vehicle; their faces slightly green.

"Next time, Sam…" Danny moaned, "I'll fly us all here."

"That sounds… good," Sam replied.

"Do you kids want me to pick you up later?!" Jack called out.

"N-no!" Danny cried out, "We'll- ugh– we'll walk."

"You sure?"

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed, leaning against her knees, "Thanks… for the lift, Mr. Fenton."

"No problem, kids! Enjoy the movie!"

With that, Jack floored the RV out of sight. Tucker glanced at his PDA.

"We have… 28 minutes left until the movie starts…" he moaned, before covering his mouth with his hand and his cheeks expanded, "I'll be right back."

Nearby, hiding behind a corner, in a dark alley, Johnny 13's Shadow spied on the teens, snickering at their misfortune.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Road Rage (Episode 53)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was early evening by the time the movie was over; the sky was a magenta color. Danny and his friends exited the theater and made their way down the sidewalk towards their homes. Shadow trailed them from a distance.

"That was _AWESOME_!" Sam exclaimed, "So worth the wait!"

"It's sure has been a while since we've seen a new horror movie," said Danny, "It was a great movie."

"You bet it was," said Sam, "What did you think, Tucker?"

She and Danny turned to their friend, who was holding his stomach.

"I'll tell you what I think; I think Mr. Fenton's driver's license should be revoked for child endangerment."

Danny and Sam gave him a look of uncertainty.

"We're legally not adults yet, so the 'child endangerment' clause still applies to us."

"Fair point," said Danny, "Sorry about that guys. I don't know why he thinks every time someone needs a ride somewhere that it must be an urgent matter and that they only have a minute left to arrive."

"It's a wonder how he even got his driver's license to begin with," Sam joked, "It would be a lot easier if we had Jazz or someone else drive us."

***Ding***

"That's it!" Danny exclaimed.

"What is?" Tucker asked.

"What if _we _got our driver's licenses?" Danny suggested, "Think about it; we've already got enough hours of practice with our permits. Why don't we take some time next week to take our driver's test?"

"Hmm… well, it _would _allow us to not be driven anywhere by your dad," said Sam.

"Yeah, but what would we use our license for?" Tucker asked, "It's not like we have our own cars, you know."

"Tucker does bring up a good point, Danny," said Sam, "Besides, we already have our scooters, so what use would they be?"

"To avoid what happened today," Danny explained, "I'm not expecting us to get our own cars anytime soon, but we could take the RV in case something happened to our scooters."

Tucker and Sam pondered for a moment.

"Well, I'm in," said Tucker.

"Same here," said Sam.

"Alright. See?" Danny asked, "Problem solved."

"Speaking of our scooters, what do you think happened to them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, the tires were shredded like paper," said Tucker.

The three stopped at the corner of an intersection.

"I'm not sure," said Danny, "I'll have my mom drive me to the shop to get new tires. You guys can pay me back later."

"Sounds good to me," said Tucker.

"We should get going, guys, it's getting pretty late now," Sam noted.

Danny and Tucker glance up at the sky and see that it was nearly black. The streetlights overhead began to turn on.

"Alright. See you guys at the mall tomorrow?" Danny asked.

"You got it," said Tucker.

"Alright. 'night," Danny said as the three friends went their separate ways.

No one noticed Shadow stalking Danny.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny continued his journey home. It had been a few minutes since he split from his friends. As he walked down the sidewalk, he could help but not how unusually eerie the atmosphere felt. He felt a chill down his spin.

"Hope it's not my ice powers acting up," he muttered, "I'd doubt Frostbite's people would be thrilled to hear I've lost control of them if that were the case." ******

Suddenly, the streetlights around him started flickering before completely turning off.

"Hey, what's going on?" Danny asked, "Hm… the lights are still on in the houses nearby, so it's not a power outage."

Danny gasped as a blue mist escaped his mouth. He looked around the area but saw nothing. Treading carefully, Danny continued his way back home.

***WUMP***

"Whooaa! H-hey!" Danny cried out as something slammed into his back and began carrying up into the air.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Shadow giving him an evil grin.

"Shadow!?"

Not in the mood of being carried off into the night, Danny turned himself intangible and began falling to the ground.

"I'm going ghost!"

A white ring appeared around Danny and split into two, moving in opposite directions as he turned into Danny Phantom. With gravity no longer an issue, Danny flew up and floated before Shadow. He glanced around for a moment.

"Where's Johnny, Shadow?" Danny asked, "I know well enough that wherever one of you two go, the other will always be nearby."

Shadow snarled at Danny and dashed towards him. Phantom simply floated to the side, making Shadow fly right by him. With quick hands, Danny grabbed Shadow by the tail. Shadow turned with a look of shock.

"Let's take a spin," Danny quipped, "Wow… that sounded awkward. Better be careful not to say something like that again, especially around Tucker and Sam."

Focusing back on the task at hand, Danny began spin Shadow around for a couple of seconds before throwing it***** **to the ground. Shadow was dazed for a moment before floating off the ground and growling at Danny. It looked over its should and saw a parked semitruck next to a house, whose owners appeared to be moving. A diabolical smile appeared on Shadow's face as it flew towards the truck. Danny gasped and rocketed toward Shadow, but it was too late. Shadow passed through the truck, causing the brakes to fail. Being on a sloped street, the truck began rolling down the street.

"Darn it, Johnny," Danny muttered as he went for the truck instead of Shadow, "Why couldn't you have a better pet? Like a puppy? Or even kitten? Your girlfriend would love that, I'm sure."

Shadow watched with joy as Danny chased after the runaway truck. Danny caught up to it and went intangible to sit in the driver's seat. He tried to find the parking brake, but had no clue where it was. Shrugging, he began applying the regular brakes on the truck.

"Huh?"

The truck was slowing down, but not fast enough. Danny put more pressure on the brakes, but it still wasn't enough.

"Oh, this is not good."

Grabbing the steering wheel Danny did his best to not hit any of the cars parked on the street.

"Come on! How hard can it be to slow down a truck!?"

His eyes widened when he saw that he was approaching a T-intersection.

"Seriously!?"

***Ding***

Danny went intangible again and went under the truck. His hands began glowing blue and he fired ice beams at the axels of the truck. The axels locked in place and the truck began skidding across the road. Danny went back into the truck and continued to avoid the other cars. The intersection was coming up fast. Danny shut his eyes and leaned back, preparing for the worst. When he opened his eyes seconds later, the truck had stopped just inches from the building.

"Phew," Danny sighed, "I guess that's another reason for me to get my license."

Danny went intangible and exited the truck. He looked up in the sky and watched as Shadow vanished into the night.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Next day, Danny called Tucker and Sam on his cellphone and told them about Shadow.

"So you think Shadow was the one who shredded our tires?" Sam asked.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Danny answered as he walked down stairs to the entryway of the Fenton Works, "I'll have my mom drop the scooters off at the shop later for new tires. We still up for the mall in an hour?"

"I'm down," said Tucker.

"Same here," said Sam.

"Alright, see you guys later," Danny said as he hung up and walked down to the labs.

He found Maddie working on an experiment of some kind; he wasn't sure what it was, but it did involve ectoplasm.

"Hey, mom."

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted with a smile, "Need something?"

"Actually, yeah. Tucker and Sam's scooters got their tires slashed, mine included. Do you have time later to drop them off at the shop for new ones?"

"Of course, Danny!"

"Thanks, mom. Also, I was wondering if you could make time in the next couple of days to get me ready for me to get my driver's license?"

At that moment, Jack's head popped up from behind the desk Maddie was working on.

"What's that, Danny?" he asked, "You want someone to help you get ready for a driver's test. I'd love to help you out!"

"Uh, actually, dad?" Danny asked nervously, "I was going to ask-"

"Say no more, Danny!" Jack exclaimed, "I have plenty of time to help my son prepare to get his license."

"That sounds wonderful!" Maddie exclaimed, "You should feel lucky, Danny. Your father is the best driver I know!"

Danny was a bit dumbfounded hearing that from his own mother.

"Don't worry, Danny," said Jack, "Once we're finished with our latest experiment, we'll go for a drive."

"Wow, great," Danny said with feigned excitement, "I can't wait."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Later, Danny was hanging out at the mall with his friends. They were sitting at one of the tables near a café.

"I can't believe my dad is going to help me practice before the test," Danny complained, "My _dad_!"

"Oh, come on, Danny, look at the bright side," said Sam, "At least you'll be the one driving and not him."

"I'm more worried about the lack of advice he'll be able to give."

"Why's that?" Tucker asked.

"Because when he tried to teach me how to drive, all he would do was yell at everyone who was honking to leave me alone because I was just learning how to drive. He spent almost the whole time yelling at the driver's than helping me."

"Well, in that case, I have one thing to say to you," said Tucker, "***Sniff* **It was nice knowing you, dude,"

Sam frowned at Tucker and kicked him in the shins.

"Ow!"

"Tucker," she growled.

"Alright, sorry. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"Well, that's my excitement for the next couple of days. What about you guys? Have you talked to your folks about taking the driver's test?" Danny asked them.

"My dad says he'll help me out," said Tucker, "He's always been great help."

"At least your parents help," said Sam, "Mine are almost always too busy to help me."

"Didn't your grandmother teach you?" Danny asked.

"She did, but she's visiting friends out of town for the next couple of weeks," Sam explained, "Luckily, your sister was kind enough to help me out."

Danny looked concerned.

"Uh, you sure that's a good idea, Sam?" he asked.

"Well, I've got no one else to ask. Why? Is it a problem?"

"Just… be prepared to have your ear talked off," Danny warned, "She means well, but she's so obsessed with safety in her car, I almost think she's insane. Well, not Vlad level of insane, of course."

"Don't worry, Danny. I'm sure I'll survive," Sam assured him.

Above them, Shadow appeared. It looked around, looking for ways to creating chaos. It spotted just the thing and snickered before flying over to it. Down below, Danny gasped and his ghost sense went off. He looked around and noticed Shadow floating over towards a large hanging chandelier.

"Not good," said Danny.

He quickly glanced around to make sure no one else could see him before he hid under the table. A flash of white light beamed from underneath and Danny Phantom flew towards Shadow. Shadow reached the chandelier and passed through it. The area where the chandelier was attached to the ceiling began to crack. Shadow began to chuckle as the ceiling gave way and the chandelier started to fall towards the shoppers below. Screams of terror filled the mall. A couple of the people below the chandelier were too stunned to move. Danny flew in and grabbed the pair just as the chandelier landed on them.

"Danny!" Tucker and Sam cried out.

Phantom pulled the two individuals away from the mess using his intangibility and to someplace safe. As the three of them became tangible again, Tucker and Sam were relieved to see that they were unscathed.

"You alright, Danny?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine. And so are they."

"But they aren't!" Tucker exclaimed, pointing behind the group.

Shadow was busy making a mess of the mall, going from store to store. A shoe store began having shoes fly all over the place, a sushi bar started overflowing with rice, and multiple devices began shorting out at an electronics store.

"Johnny's Shadow is turning this place into a crazy house," said Sam.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said Danny before he flew after Shadow.

Shadow just exited out of a bookstore when it got blasted by a ghost ray, sending it into the chandelier. It looked up and saw Danny floating above.

"Alright, Shadow, you've done enough damage. Now, how is going to go down?" Danny asked, "We can do this the easy way-"

***POW***

The punch sent Danny flying over Tucker and Sam and into the pile of rice at the sushi bar. The two friends ran over and helped Danny up to his feet.

"Or the hard way," he moaned.

"Something tells me Shadow doesn't want to take the easy way," said Tucker.

Danny glared over at Shadow as it went around terrorizing people.

"This is going to get people hurt," he said, "Sam, do you still have the Fenton Wrist Ray on you?"

"You know I do," she smirked as she pulled it out and put it on her wrist.

"Great," said Danny before handing Tucker a Fenton Thermos, "Tucker, Sam and I will keep Shadow distracted while you sneak around it and trap it from behind. We can't let it see you firing it. Otherwise it will just run off. And I need answers."

"Don't sweat it," said Tucker, "I'm on it."

Tucker stayed behind as Danny and Sam went opposite directions to flank Shadow. The ghost was chasing a woman around the store, when Danny fired a ghost ray over its head. Shadow turned and growled at Danny. It charged at Danny, but a ghost ray from behind hit it in the back. Shadow looked over its should and saw Sam aiming her Wrist Ray at it.

"Tag," she smirked, "you're it."

While Danny and Sam took turns distracting Shadow, Tucker carefully made his way through the shops, undetected. He was almost in position, when he accidentally knocked over a soda can off a table. The noise did not escape Shadow as he turned to the direction the sound originated from. Danny and Sam both gasped in slight terror. Luckily, Tucker was quick enough to duck behind one of the overturned tables and remain unseen. Shadow was about to approach said table when two ghost rays shot passed him.

"What's wrong? Not having fun?" Danny teased, still holding up both of his green glowing hands.

"Well, if that's the case," said Tucker as he aimed the Thermos at Shadow, "then maybe a timeout will teach you some sportsmanship."

With that said, Tucker activated the Thermos and the beam took hold of Shadow. After a brief struggle, it was pulled inside the Thermos and Tucker slapped on the cap.

"Nice work, guys," said Danny as he and Sam approached Tucker.

"I told you I had this," said Tucker as he handed the Thermos to Danny.

"What did you mean when you said you needed answers?" Sam asked Danny.

"Let's just say it's time for me to pay Johnny a little visit," Danny replied.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the Ghost Zone, Johnny 13 was riding around on his bike with Kitty holding on tight to his back. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as Walker and his goons gave up on their pursuit and angrily returned to the prison.

"Ha!" Johnny exclaimed, "You see, babe? I told you those punks could never catch us."

"Pay attention, Johnny!" Kitty snapped, rolling her eyes, "This wasn't what I meant at all when I said I wanted us to go out on a romantic ride!"

"Babe, relax," Johnny said calmly, "I got you the ride part. Now it's time to make for the romantic part- WHAT THE-!?"

Johnny applied the brakes on his bike and skidded to a stop just inches away from Danny Phantom, who wants waiting patiently with his arms crossed.

"What's your deal, punk!?" Johnny shouted as he kicked down the bike kickstand and stood before Danny.

"I should be asking you that, Johnny," said Danny.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Johnny asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Johnny!" Danny said loudly, "For the past 24 hours, your Shadow has been causing nothing but problems."

Johnny and Kitty looked at each other with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

Danny pulled out the Thermos containing Shadow. Johnny and Kitty were now more confused.

"I have your Shadow right here," Danny said, pointing to the Thermos, "So unless you want me to drag you and your bike over to Walker's front doors, then you better start explaining."

"I don't know who or what you have in that Thermos, punk, but it's definitely not Shadow," Johnny said as he took a step back and flung out his arm, "Shadow! Come out!"

On command, Johnny's shadow began to warp and a dark entity arose from the ground. Danny was shocked to see Shadow floating beside its master.

"Does this answer your questions, kid?" Johnny asked, slightly annoyed.

"B-but… that's impossible!" Danny stammered as he looked at the Thermos.

He pointed it aside and released the ghost inside.

"If Shadow has been with you the whole time, then who's…?"

Danny couldn't even finish his question before realizing that the only thing that came out of the Thermos was a puddle of ectoplasm.

"What the-!?" Danny exclaimed, "Is that the 'Shadow' I captured earlier!?"

***Beep beep***

Danny pulled out his Fenton Phone and answered it.

"Danny, you need to get back, right now!" Sam exclaimed.

"Sam? What's going on?"

"There's more Shadows! Three of them have shown up out of nowhere and their causing havoc all over Amity Park!"

"Oh, great, just what we need," Danny moaned, "Just one Shadow is bad enough."

Shadow growled at Danny.

"Uh, no offense," said Danny.

"No offense to what?" Sam asked.

"Nothing, Sam. I'm on my way now."

Danny turned and flew off towards the Fenton Portal. Johnny and Kitty looked at each other and shrugged.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back in Amity Park, people were running in terror from the Shadows as they caused chaos wherever they went. Jack and Maddie raced down the roads in the RV, chasing after the ghosts and using the onboard weapons to fire upon them. The Shadows split off in different directions, only allowing Jack to follow one of them. Unknown to the Fentons, Jazz was driving right behind them, with Tucker and Sam as her passengers. They went after one of the other Shadows. The third Shadow looked back and laughed as it flew on to continue its fun. When it looked forward, the first thing it saw was Danny Phantom's fist colliding with its face.

***WAM***

The Shadow went flying through the air and crashed through billboard. Before it had a chance to recover, Danny sucked it into the Fenton Thermos.

"One down, two to go."

Meanwhile, Jack was doing a good job not losing the Shadow he was chasing while Maddie was leaning out the window, firing at it with the Fenton Bazooka. Of course, with Jack driving, he was running every stop sign and red light that came his way. Shadow dodged every attack that came its way. When it looked over, it saw Danny looking around, wondering where the other Shadows were. An idea popped into the Shadow's mind. It changed directions and flew at Danny.

"Jack! Make a right!" Maddie exclaimed, not taking her eye off the Shadow.

"You've got it, Maddie!"

Jack jerked the wheel and made the turn with the RV leaning over on its left wheels. That's when they saw Phantom.

"The ghost kid!" they exclaimed.

Danny was flying around, looking for either Shadow.

"Now, where could they be?" he wondered out loud.

Shadow then flew right past passed him, snickering.

"Well, that was easy."

Suddenly a shot from the Fenton Bazooka shot passed him.

"Or maybe not," Danny said nervously, as he turned back and saw his parents chasing the ghost, and him, as well.

Not wanting to waste another trip through the Ghost Zone********, Danny took off after the Shadow, dodging attacks from his parents.

"You're not getting away this time, you filthy ghost!" Maddie shouted as she continued the attack.

"What makes her think that _this _time will be any different?" Danny asked.

A shot came close to grazing Danny.

"Whoa! That was too close," he said, "I can't keep going like this. I need to lose my parents before I end up wasting more time dealing with these Shadows."

Danny concentrated and made a duplicate of himself. The two Phantoms looked at each other and nodded. The clone took off in a different direction while the real Danny continued after the Shadow.

"Please work," he whispered.

"Jack, did you see that!?" Maddie exclaimed.

"I did," Jack said, "Should we continue after the one still with its friend?"

"No! That's exactly what he wants us to do," said Maddie, "Follow the one that's running away!"

"I love a good chase," Jack said as he floored the RV after the duplicate.

Danny looked over his shoulder and saw the RV go after his duplicate.

"Alright, it worked!" Danny exclaimed, "Now to deal with _this _duplicate."

The Shadow looked behind and growled before heading towards the ground. Danny followed behind.

A few blocks away, Jazz was also doing a good job staying on top of the Shadow they were after. Tucker and Sam were leaning out of different sides of Jazz's car, firing at the ghost with their Wrist Rays. Unlike her father, Jazz refused to run any stop signs or red lights. She slammed on the brakes when she saw the yellow light, causing both Tucker and Sam to slam their faces into the seats in front of them.

"Ow! Jazz!" they exclaimed.

"Look, I know you guys would love for me to drive like my dad at the moment, but I'd rather not risk getting a ticket."

"Oh, please!" said Tucker, "You really think the police are really going to give people tickets at this time!?"

Jazz gave him a flat face and jerked her right thumb to the right. Tucker and Sam followed her thumb and saw a police officer writing a ticket to a driver.

"You know what, you're driving is just fine," Tucker said with a nervous smile.

"As long as we don't lose the ghost," said Sam, "That being said, I'm kind of impressed, Jazz. How are you able to keep track of where it's going?"

"Sam," Jazz said, as the light turned green, "I'm a Fenton. Between my parents constant babbling about ghost hunting and my time with Danny, I've picked up a thing or two."

Seconds later, Jazz turned left at an intersection and was right behind the Shadow again. The ghost turned and snarled at them. It then zigzagged through multiple streetlights, causing them to shake and fall towards the street. Tucker and Sam gasped, but Jazz kept calm and turned into an alleyway. The Shadow stopped flying and looked behind it. It began snickering when it saw no sign of its pursuers. It didn't have time to react when it turned around and was shot down by Tucker and Sam. The Shadow crashed into the ground.

"Jazz, you are the best driver, ever!" Tucker exclaimed, "Why can't your father ever drive like that?"

"Because it's my _dad_."

Jazz pulled out her Fenton Thermos and prepared to trap the Shadow. But as the dust settled, all that was left was a puddle of ectoplasm.

"Huh!?" the three exclaimed.

Suddenly, another loud crash occurred behind them. They turned around and watch as Danny lands before a crater. The three approached and watched as the Shadow that Danny fought melted into another puddle of ectoplasm.

"Wait," said Tucker, "I'm lost. What's going on!?"

"I have no clue," said Danny, "I just talked to Johnny and his Shadow is still with him. And all these fake Shadows just turn into ectoplasm when they're defeated."

"But, where did they come from?" Jazz asked.

Sam turned around and looked up.

"Maybe we could ask **them**," she said, pointing up.

The others looked up and saw another three Shadows grinning at them.

"You've got to be kidding me," Danny moaned, "Seriously, where are these things coming from!? AAAAHHHHH!"

A bolt of purple lightning shocked through Danny's body and he falls to one knee.

"Danny!" the others exclaimed, rushing to his side.

"Are you okay!?" Sam asked.

A soft chuckle was heard behind the group. They turned around and saw an unknown ghost. The ghost appeared to be wearing a giant oversized dark purple cloak with pointed shoulder pads underneath and sleeves that covered their hands, a metal mask with one giant red eye and five vertical slots where the mouth would be, a leather belt with many small pouches and vials of different colored substances, black pants with dark purple guards, and black boots. In their arms was a huge black book with strange red symbols on it. Three similar symbols where on the ghost's garments; one on each shoulder and one on their chest.

"If you want things done properly," he muttered, "you'll just have to do it yourself."

Danny steadily got back up and glared at the ghost. The three Shadows flew over and landed beside the ghost.

"I'm guessing it was you that sent these fake 'Shadows' after us," said Danny.

"Well, it was worth a try," the ghost replied, "I needed to keep you occupied and my minions did not disappoint. Though they could have done better in the combat aspect."

Danny jumped forward and flew towards the ghost. He spun around and sent his foot flying at the ghost. But he felt nothing and flew passed the three Shadows. He landed on the ground and looked back.

"What the heck? Where did he go!?"

"Danny!" Tucker shouted, "Behind you!"

Danny turned and saw the ghost floating in the air.

"My, my," he said, "so rude. Don't you think introductions are in order first before we have this _'dramatic' _battle, as so many would describe it?"

Danny heard the Shadows approaching him and went intangible, thinking they were going to attack him. Instead, they flew around him and floated beside their master. Danny went tangible again.

"That's better," said the ghost, "Oh, and this applies to your little friends as well."

Tucker, Sam, and Jazz frowned at the ghost.

"So, you mind telling us what if is you're doing?" Danny asked.

"My name is Magnus," he said, "Magician of Black Magic."

"Oh, great," said Sam, "Another magic user."

"And what my plans are," Magnus continued, "are none of your concern, Phantom."

Suddenly, Magnus teleported behind Danny, grabbed him by the leg, and threw him into the air. He teleported again, above Danny, and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into the ground below. Danny got up and flew after Magnus and tried to punch him. Once again, Magnus teleported away from Danny's attack. Danny tried again with a ghost ray, but same result. Another kick from behind sent Danny flying, landing at the other's feet. They helped him to his feet.

"This is becoming rather boring," Magnus said as he turned to his minions, "It's time to use the fusion spell. Relinquish your Mirage spells."

The Shadows nodded and began to fade into their true forms. Within seconds, the minions became green skeletons, similar to those of Pariah Dark's army*********, but they all looked distinct from those. The first skeleton had a helmet, a pauldron on its left shoulder, torn leggings that were knee length, and a sword in its right hand. The second had a small cloak and a staff with a purple gem at the end. The third had a red hood and scarf, an arrow pouch on its back, and a bow in hand.

"This shouldn't be a problem," said Tucker.

Magnus flipped a page from his book.

"Ya ithikitalkus a soth!" he chanted.

The gang watched as a spell rune surrounded the three skeletons. The minions began to glow white and meld together. When the light faded away, there was only one skeleton left, wielding a chain mace for a weapon and twice the size as the skeletons before. It looked just like the sword wielding skeleton, only it now had two pauldrons and gauntlets.

"Still doesn't seem like a big issue," said Tucker, earning him a glare from Danny, Sam, and Jazz, "What?"

"Tucker, can you not say things like that!?" Sam asked.

"Why?"

"Dolibix kiranann igira kair!" Magnus chanted.

A glowing purple rune appeared on the skeleton's forehead and it grew until it was three times its normal size.

"That's why, Tucker," Danny said.

"Sorry," said Tucker as he cowered between glaring Jazz and Sam.

Danny flew up to engage the large foe. He floated a few feet away and shot a few ghost rays at the skeleton's head, but it didn't even flinch. The enemy reeled back and slung out the mace. Danny went intangible, allowing the mace to pass through him, harmlessly. He then flew forward and became tangible so he could punch the skeleton's face. Suddenly, the skeleton turned with blazing speed and grabbed Danny's leg with its left hand.

"Please, Phantom," Magnus sighed, "couldn't you come up with something more… challenging? Warrior!"

The skeleton turned to face its master.

"Give him a brief lesson and then free him."

The warrior nodded and then began slamming Danny against the ground repeatedly. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz flinched with each impact. After hitting the ground six times, Danny was barely conscious and completely dazed.

"I think that's enough for now, Warrior," said Magnus, "Send him on his way."

The skeleton raised Danny behind its head and then threw him across the city.

"Danny!" the others cried out.

Jazz turned angrily to Magnus.

"What's your problem, jerk! You said you would release him!" she shouted.

"I did," Magnus shrugged, "I never said _how_."

Jazz and Sam growled at the ghost magician.

"Well, that should buy us plenty of time," said Magnus, "Come along, Warrior. There's work to be done."

With that, the two ghosts teleported away.

"Come on!" Tucker exclaimed, "We need to help Danny!"

Danny was thrown so far, he ended up reaching the park. He managed to open his eyes just in time for him to see where he would land.

"Oh no…"

***SPLASH***

Danny landed in the water fountain, with his back against the statue.

"Uugghhh…" he moaned as a white ring appeared around him and he reverted back to his human form.

He immediately began looking around in fear of someone seeing him transform. Luckily, no one else was around. A moment later, Jazz pulled up to the park and she, Tucker, and Sam rushed inside. They found Danny just as he got up to his feet, soaked.

"Danny, you alright?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "I'm fine."

Tucker and Sam walked up and helped him out of the fountain.

"How was your bath?" Tucker teased.

Sam glanced at Tucker before shoving him into the fountain with no hesitation.

"What was that for, Sam!?" he asked, picking up his beret from the water.

"For jinxing us," she replied with a smile, "but mostly for the bad joke."

"Hmph," said Tucker, "How was I supposed to know that ghost could combine ghosts and make them bigger and stronger?"

"Come on, let's go home," said Danny, "We'll deal with Magnus another time. Right now, I could take a break."

"That sounds good, Danny," said Jazz, "Besides, you'll need all the strength you'll need when driving with dad tomorrow."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," Danny said, slightly annoyed.

The four of them made their way back to Jazz's car. Sam entered the car first, but Jazz stopped Danny and Tucker. They gave her a questionable look and she just responded with a raised eyebrow. Danny took the message and went intangible, allowing the water to come off his body and to the ground. He went tangible and entered the car, along with Jazz.

"Uh, Danny? Aren't you forgetting something?" Tucker asked.

Danny didn't respond and just buckled up as Jazz started the car.

"Danny? Jazz? Sam!?"

They ignored him.

"You guys serious right now!?"

Danny rolled down the window and laughed.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you, Tuck," said Danny, "Give me a sec."

Danny touched Tucker with a finger and turned him intangible for a moment.

"I knew you'd never leave me, guys," Tucker smirked as he got in the car.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny was eating breakfast in the kitchen when Jazz came in.

"Hey, Danny."

"Hey, Jazz."

"Feeling better?"

"Much, but this headache might take another day or two," he replied, rubbing his temple.

"Well, that's good to hear. Good luck with dad today."

"Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to it."

"It'll be fine, Danny. And you'll do just fine."

"I hope so."

Jazz walked over and rubbed his head.

"I know so, little brother."

"Thanks, Jazz," Danny said as his sister made her way out, "Oh, and tell Sam good luck."

Jazz looked over her shoulder, confused.

"What? Why?"

"Well, aren't you helping her with the driver's test?"

"Yeah… why would she- Oh, shut up, Danny!"

Danny chuckled as his sister left the kitchen.

"Hey, Danny!"

He looked over and saw Jack poking his head inside the kitchen.

"Your mother and I are just finishing up with this part of our latest invention," Jack explained, "We'll go for a drive in a couple of minutes."

"Uh, yeah, sure, whatever you say, dad," Danny replied, nervously.

"That's the spirit!" Jack explained before heading back down to the labs.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Over at Tucker's place, he and his father just exited their front door.

"Stay safe, you two," Mrs. Foley called out.

"We will, mom!" Tucker called back.

A couple more steps and Tucker and Mr. Foley were standing before the car. Tucker turned to his father, who proudly presented his son with the car keys.

"For you, Mr. Foley," said Mr. Foley.

"Why, thank you, Mr. Foley," Tucker replied as he took the keys and entered the driver's seat.

His father entered the passenger's side and sat down. He watched as his son made minor adjustments to the mirrors and seat before buckling up.

"I see you've remembered about adjusting everything to your accommodations," he said.

"Mm hmm," Tucker smirked as he sat back and started the engine.

When Tucker didn't do anything for a couple of seconds, Mr. Foley raised and eyebrow and looked at his son.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well, what?" Tucker smirked.

"IS something wrong? I can't hold your hand through _everything_, Tucker."

"I was waiting for you," said Tucker.

Mr. Foley was not sure what he meant until Tucker pulled on the seatbelt over his chest.

"Oh, of course!" Mr. Foley exclaimed and put his on, "How about now?"

"I think we're ready to roll," Tucker said as he carefully pulled out onto the street.

Neither of them noticed the raider skeleton following them.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam was patiently waiting for Jazz to arrive when she heard the car horn beep. She made her way over.

"Hey, Jazz."

"Hey, Sam," she greeted as she got out of her car, keys still in the ignition, "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"So am I. Thanks for helping me out and using your car, Jazz."

"Oh, it's not a problem at all," Jazz replied as Sam closed the driver's side door behind her, "After all, we might be sisters-in-law someday."

"What was that?" Sam asked as Jazz sat down in the passenger seat.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all, heh heh."

As Sam began driving off, she and Jazz were unaware of the archer skeleton hiding under the car.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Here you are, Danny," Jack said as he led Danny up to the RV's driver's seat and tossed him the keys, "Now, let's get this show on the road."

Danny inserted the key into the ignition and started up the RV. He put his seatbelt on as Jack sat down in the passenger seat, closing the door behind him.

"Now, Danny, as you know, the first thing to do in any vehicle is…?"

"Um, adjust the mirrors and seat?"

"Ha! No!" Jack exclaimed, "You check your surroundings for ghosts. They can be anywhere, you know. Above you. Below you. Or even _in _you!"

Danny blinked a couple of times.

"Dad? We're going out for a drive, not hunt ghosts."

Jack leaned over and squinted his eyes.

"That's what the ghosts want; for you to not on your guard."

"R-right," said Danny, "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

Suddenly, Danny gasped, and his ghost sense went off.

"You okay, Danny?"

"Uh, yeah, dad, I'm fine."

"You sure? For a moment their I thought I could see your breath."

"No, you didn't see my breath. I'm fine."

"Hmm… Well if you say so," said Jack, "Well, let's hit the road!"

"Um, dad? Shouldn't you be putting your seatbelt on?"

"Danny, when it comes to dealing with ghosts and driving, you soon learn that a seatbelt is more of a liability than a safety device."

Danny sighed and began driving down the road, carefully checking for any signs of the ghost. Unfortunately, since neither Jack nor Danny activated the RV's ghost devices, the mage skeleton was able to hitch a free on the roof of the vehicle.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Tucker's drive was going well. He stopped at every intersection when needed and never once went over the speed limit.

"I must say, son," said Mr. Foley, "I think you're more than ready for the test."

"Really?"

"Well, almost. Let's see how you do on the freeway. Take a right onto the onramp, here."

Tucker did as instructed and got onto the freeway, picking up speed to match the traffic.

"No need to worry, son," said Mr. Foley, "Just wait until there's plenty of room to-"

***POW***

A loud boom was heard, and Tucker began losing control.

"Woah! It's turning left!" Tucker exclaimed as he tried to regain control, almost hitting another car.

"Calm down, son. Just pull over to the side and turn on the emergency lights."

Tucker nodded and slowed down. As he regained control, he pulled the car over. He and his father got out and inspected the car. They noticed that the front left tire was gone.

"Well, that's new," said Mr. Foley, "I've had deflated and punctured tires before, but I've never had a tire completely vanish."

"What? Do you think the tire got shredded?" Tucker asked.

"It would seem so," his father replied, "Luckily, I always keep a spare in the trunk, along with a jack. I guess now would be the perfect time to show you how to replace a wheel."

Tucker made his way over to the trunk to grab the spare and jack. Floating nearby and out of sight, the raider skeleton growled in frustration as it pulled off a strip of rubber from the tip of its blade.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Now, the first thing we need to do is to make sure all your mirrors are in position for you to see your surroundings. Then we need to adjust your seat and determine the best place for you to be so you can see your blind spots. After that, check all your gauges to make sure you've got enough fuel-"

"Jazz?"

"-and that your battery has sufficient charge so that the car will start. Now that I think about, we should go over how the right of way rules work at intersections of four or more ways."

"Uh, Jazz?"

"Then, we'll discuss the duration of a yellow light of a traffic sign and-"

"JAZZ!" Sam shouted, causing Jazz to stare and blink a couple of times, "We've been on the road for 15 minutes. I think we went over this already, twice."

"Did we?" Jazz asked, "Well, never hurts to reinforce the traffic laws."

Sam sighed and looked down the road. She saw a stop sign coming up and moved her foot over the brake.

"Maybe Danny was on to something when he warned me about y-"

Sam stopped talking and looked down, alarmed. She kept stepping on the brake, but nothing happened.

"What was that, Sam?" Jazz asked, "Did Danny say something to you about me?"

"Uh, Jazz?"

"I'll have you know that I can be informative on driving techniques that can-"

"The brakes aren't working!" Sam shouted, stomping on the brakes over and over.

"WHAT!?" Jazz shrieked.

The two girls looked at each other and then the intersection before them. An elderly woman in an electric wheelchair was crossing the sidewalk at a painfully slow rate in front of them. The two girls screamed.

"Sam, pull the parking brake! PULL THE PARKING BRAKE!"

Sam yanked the parking brake into position and the car skidded to a stop, just inches from the pedestrian. Jazz and Sam took a few moments to calm down and take some breathers. Jazz sighed before she glared at Sam.

"What?" Sam asked, "The brakes weren't working!"

She pumped on the brakes again, showing that nothing working. Jazz got out and walked around her car, motioning Sam to get out as well. She got out and Jazz got in. She pumped the brakes and felt them holding pressure.

"Sam, the brakes are fine."

"But… they wouldn't hold…"

"It's fine now," said Jazz, "Strange… how did that even happen?"

Under the car, the archer skeleton frowned in frustration as it pulled the remainder of the arrows out of the brake pads.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Any signs of ghosts, Danny?" Jack asked with his head out the window.

Danny attempted to change lanes to the right but couldn't see the car that was there because Jack was blocking the view. Luckily, an accident was avoided when the driver honked their horn and Danny readjusted into his lane.

"HEY!" Jack shouted at the driver, "THAT'S MY SON YOUR HONKING AT! GIVE HIM SOME SPACE, WILL YA!?"

"Dad, could you not do that, please?" Danny pleaded.

Jack continued shouting at the driver until Danny turned left at an intersection. With the other car out of sight, Jack slid back inside and rolled up the window.

"Ha! That'll show 'em," Jack said proudly, "Now, what was I talking about?"

"Uh…"

"Right! Ghosts!"

"No, dad, please don't-"

"As I was saying before, when you're driving, you must always keep an eye out for them. Down the road, above the road, in your mirrors, blind spots, under the car, over the car, **in the car**."

"Dad, could we just focus on the _driving _rather than the _ghost hunting_?" Danny asked as he stopped at a red light.

"Son, in my experience, _everything _involves ghosts!"

Danny sighed as his father continued to and continued driving when the light turned green. Suddenly, the steering wheel began to glow a dark purple and turn on its own, causing the RV to drift into the oncoming traffic. Danny tried to turn back onto the right side of the road but couldn't; the steering wheel was locked in place.

"I remember when I was your age," Jack continued, "My father taught me so much. Except for ghost hunting. He never did like the idea of me learning two things at once. But, unlike my father, I'm a man of efficiency! If I want to do two things at once, I'll do so!"

He stopped talking when he heard Danny struggling and turned to see what was going on.

"Danny? What's wrong?"

"Dad, not to worry you, but I think the wheel's locked up," Danny said, worried.

"It is?" Jack asked, leaning over and grabbing the wheel, giving it a couple of jerks, "Rrrrgh! Well, that's new."

Jack continued to fight the steering wheel, which was beginning to turn on its own. Danny tried to apply the brakes, but they didn't respond.

"Come on, don't tell me this baby needs another tune-up," Jack grumbled.

Danny gasped and his ghost sense went off. He glanced around the RV and outside the windows and mirrors but saw nothing. Then a thought came to mind. Danny leaned his head out the window and looked on top of the RV. That's when he saw the mage skeleton using its glowing purple staff to take control of the vehicle. Danny pulled his head back inside and activated the RV's energy beam blaster. The weapon appeared behind the skeleton and, with a single shot, blasted it away. As soon as the mage's spell was interrupted, Jack was back in control.

"Alright! That should fix it!" he exclaimed, "The wheel's all yours, Danny."

"Uh, yeah, great job, dad."

"And not a single accident occurred, thanks to one Jack Fenton."

Danny glanced over at the sideview mirror and saw a dozen cars that had pulled over, with the drivers all shouting back at the RV, fists raised and anger in their voices.

"I _really_ hope this doesn't happen during the test," Danny moaned as he continued his drive.

A short time later, Danny needed to take care of some business.

"Hey, dad? I need to make a pitstop," he said.

"That's fine, Danny. Just pull into the gas station here."

Danny parked the RV and hopped out.

"I'll be here. Waiting," Jack told him.

Danny went inside to use the restroom.

"… for ghosts," Jack added darkly before his head fell back and he started snoring away in deep sleep.

At that moment, the mage skeleton appeared nearby and glared at the RV.

"So, they want to prepare for their driver's tests, do they?" Magnus asked as he teleported behind the mage, "Why don't we give them a test of our own?"

He pulled out his book of spells and opened it. Across town, each of the skeletons flew above the vehicles they each targeted earlier that day.

"Boli kali ithikitalkus!"

Simultaneously, the three vehicles had a magical seal with an icon of a locked padlock appear under them. Jazz and Sam were still driving while Tucker and Mr. Foley had just finished with the spare; Tucker had already got back in the car while his father put the stuff back in the trunk.

"Tagopar damen nal!"

The skeletons morphed into Shadow clones.

"Take the vehicles out for a spin," Magnus ordered his minions.

Immediately, Tucker and Sam's cars were possessed by the ghosts, causing them to glow a soft purple.

"Hey!" Sam exclaimed.

"What's going on!?" Tucker cried out.

Under the skeletons' control, the two cars began to pick up speed. The brakes were stuck in place and the only thing Tucker and Sam could do was steer their cars.

"Tucker, what are you doing!?" Mr. Foley shouted as he started chasing after his car.

"I don't know, dad! The brakes won't work!"

"Sam! Don't tell me the brakes-" Jazz exclaimed

"Yup," Sam replied half-hearted, "I get the feeling it's going to be one of _those _days. And the parking brake isn't working either."

Back at the gas station, Jack was still snoring as the ghost possessed the RV. He startled awake when the RV started up.

"Hm? Danny, is that you?" he yawned, "You sure are in a hurry to-"

Jack snapped out of his sleepiness when he noticed no one was driving the RV. He then looked up and saw the Shadow clone poke its head through the roof and grin at him.

"GHOSTS!" Jack exclaimed.

Danny made his way out of the gas station, sipping a can of soda. As he threw the can away, his ghost sense went off.

"DANNY!"

He looked over and watched as the RV sped off down the road. Jack was leaning out the window.

"GHOSTS!" his father shouted as he disappeared over the hill.

"Dad!" Danny exclaimed, "I'm going ghost!"

A white ring surrounded Danny and he transformed into Danny Phantom. With no time to waste, Danny flew into the air and chased after the RV, where Jack prepared to fight the ghost.

"Alright, ghost," Jack muttered as he got up from his seat and got into a defensive stance, "I know you're still here. Come out and face me! I… DARE YOU!"

Jack's eyes glanced around the back of the RV as he waited for the ghost to make its move. Nothing happened, so he turned around to steer the RV and prevent it from veering off the road. Behind him, the Shadow clone phased through the roof and leapt towards Jack.

"GOTCHA!" Jack exclaimed as he spun around, producing the Jack o' Nine Tails in his hands and fired it at the ghost.

Multiple tails extended from the end and wrapped around the Shadow. It gave a momentary struggle in the restraints before it was electrocuted.

"Ha!" Jack exclaimed in triumph, "Did you really think you could sneak up on _**Jack Fenton**_!?"

Nearby, Danny had managed to catch up to the RV. He flew down and attempted to phase through, but a magic barrier was preventing him from doing so, causing a small shock to run through his body.

"Okay, bad idea," Danny muttered to himself as a flew a couple feet away, "Judging from the strange symbols, I'm guessing Magnus is behind this. Now, how am I going to get in?"

Back inside the RV, the Shadow continued to fight through the tails. Instead, it decided to body slam into Jack.

"Oh, so you think you can take me on?" said Jack as he pushed against the ghost, "I'm not an easy pushover."

Jack and the Shadow continued to struggle near the driver's seat of the RV. The RV continued speeding down the road with no one driving. A sudden bump from a rock on the road caused the RV to rock around, making Jack and the Shadow to sway and try to keep their balance. Jack unintentionally elbowed the button and activated the RV's Ghost Shield.

"Well, looks like I'm _definitely_ not getting inside the RV now," said Danny as he stared at the green shield.

Jack managed to aim the Jack o' Nine Tails at the ghost and fired at it again. The Shadow clone saw it coming and slinked back towards the rear of the RV, avoiding the attack. The two foes glared at each other as Jack got into a bizarre fighting stance, causing him to hit the button again and deactivate the shield. As soon as the shield was down, Danny noticed something.

"The padlock symbol is gone. Maybe I could…?"

Being cautious, Danny floated down to the RV and attempted to phase through. As soon as his intangible hand went through the RV's roof and felt nothing, Danny entered the RV.

***WHAM***

Danny watched as his father was sent flying into the back of the RV, hit his head against the back of the RV, and land flat on his back. Danny rushed over to his father.

"Da- I mean, Jack! Are you okay!?"

Jack lifted his head.

"Don't worry, Maddie, I'll make sure to fly the choo-choo into the ocean," Jack said before he fell unconscious.

The Shadow clone laughed as it approached Phantom but stopped when it saw the angry green glow in his eyes. The RV rocked around for a couple of moments. After giving the Shadow a beating, Danny pulled out his Thermos and captured the ghost.

"I probably shouldn't release this into the Ghost Zone," said Danny, "I don't think anyone will appreciate the mess it will make inside."

He then became alarmed.

"Wait… who's driving?"

Danny looked over and noticed that the RV was still rolling at full speed down the road. He ran over and got tried the brakes. Nothing happened, but he was still able to turn.

"This is not at all what I meant when I wanted to prepare for my driver's license."

His cellphone rang and he answered.

"Jazz, now isn't the best time to be calling me."

"Let me guess… ghost problems?" she asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied, "How'd you know?"

"Because we're having ghost problems too," said Tucker, who was on conference call, "As in the brakes won't work."

"Great," Danny muttered, "this just gets better and better. This wouldn't be a problem if the cars could just go through the other cars. Wait! That's it!"

Concentrating hard, Danny went intangible and did the same for the entire RV.

"Alright!" he exclaimed, "Now I don't have to worry about the other cars."

"That's great, Danny, but we do," said Jazz.

"Okay, okay! Geez, sorry," Danny muttered, "Now, where are you guys?"

"We just passed the Fenton Works," said Jazz.

"Really?" Tucker asked, surprised, "I just passed it too."

"Alright, keep driving around the block," Danny ordered, "I'll meet up with you guys."

"And then what?" Tucker asked.

"I'm… not really sure," Danny replied, "Still working on that. Look, just stay near the Fenton Works."

Danny turned the RV around and continued phasing through traffic to get to the others. Following close by, Magnus watched with amusement.

"This is becoming much more interesting than I had anticipated."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"I'm shocked that we haven't ran out of gas yet," Sam told Jazz as she continued driving around, preventing accidents, "It's been 20 minutes, where's Danny?"

"Did somebody call for a rescue?"

Sam and Jazz looked over and saw the RV driving beside them.

"Well, you sure took your time," Jazz remarked.

"Hey, it's not my fault the RV was 25 miles out of town," Danny replied.

"What's the plan, Danny?" Sam asked, focusing on the road.

"Simple. I grab you and Jazz and pull you into the RV."

Jazz and Sam deadpanned.

"What?"

"Danny, you do realize that someone still needs to drive my car, right?" Jazz pointed out.

"Oh. Right. Um…"

"HEEELLLP!"

Danny, Sam, and Jazz looked up and down the road in time to see Tucker tearing down the street adjacent to theirs.

"Danny, if you can think of anything, _now _would be a great time!" Sam exclaimed.

"I'm trying, Sam!" Danny snapped back, "It's not like I can drive and save you guys at the same… time…"

"Danny?" Jazz asked, wondering what he was thinking.

Danny strained himself as a duplicate of himself appeared in the RV's passenger seat. The duplicate flew out of the RV and hoverer above Jazz's car. He tried to phase through the car, but, like before with the RV, received a shock.

"I can't get passed this stupid magic barrier."

"Here," said Jazz, "Let me just roll down the window and you can pull me out."

She tried to roll it down, but it wouldn't work.

"Try opening the door?" Sam suggested.

"I can't," said Jazz, "It won't open!"

"It must be a spell that Magnus used," said Danny.

"How right you are, Phantom."

The three looked up and saw Magnus floating in the air.

"Enjoying your drive?" he asked.

"I was, until you started making it more difficult than it already was," Danny remarked as a flew up towards the ghost magician.

"Kalipar du xaquin idish!"

Magnus held out his hand and a bolt of purple lightning shot out at Danny, hitting him in the chest and sending him flying back towards the ground.

"Danny!" Sam and Jazz exclaimed as they drove off.

He got up to his feet and flew after them.

"I've got to find a way to break those spells," said Danny, "The only way I can think of is to defeat Magnus. But how am I going to do that when he just teleports all over the place? ***sigh* **Keeping my duplicate in the RV is starting to tire me out. If I'm going to beat Magnus, I better do this quickly."

Danny strained himself again and created two more duplicates of himself.

"This better work," Danny sighed, "Otherwise our parents' insurance rates are going up."

The three lookalikes caught up to Jazz's car as it passed the Fenton Works and saw Magnus standing on the building roof. Danny had one of the duplicates fly towards Magnus while he and the other flew out of sight. Magnus saw the duplicate flying towards him and attacked it.

"When will you learn?" Magnus sighed as he shot lightning from his hand.

"When you learn not to let your guard down!"

"Huh!?"

Magnus turned his head and was uppercut by Danny and his other duplicate at the same time. The magician landed on the roof and looked up in disbelief.

"That's… impossible…" he said, "Unless… Hm. This will complicate things."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Danny asked.

"No matter," said Magnus, "I made the mistake of underestimating your abilities, Phantom. But now…"

He flipped through his spell book.

"Now, I will end this little game and get on with my research! Hope your friends enjoyed their rides."

"No!" Danny exclaimed, shooting forward at Magnus.

Magnus smirked and teleported closer to Danny, elbowing him down onto the roof. Before the magician could continue, Danny vanished in a blink of an eye. It was another duplicate.

***WHAM***

The _real_ Danny Phantom bided his time and waited for Magnus to make his move first. Once Magnus teleported, Danny shot forward and kicked him in the back and into the ground, causing the spell book to fly off the roof.

"N-no!" Magnus exclaimed, reaching for the book.

"Ha! Not so fast without your book, are you?" Danny taunted.

"You insolent child!" Magnus shouted, "Have you forgotten? I still have your friends trapped! You can't save them unless I remove the spells, or you defeat me!"

"That's all I needed to hear," Danny smirked.

He took a deep breath and a step back. Magnus' eye widened.

"Aw, crud."

Danny unleashed a Ghostly Wail directly at Magnus and he was thrown off the roof and sent flying into a nearby building. The force of the impact was enough to knock the magician out. Danny stopped the attack and fell to one knee as his head reverted back to human form.

"Nnnngh…" he moaned, "I've really got to learn how to use that power without wiping myself out. Oh no… Sam! And Tucker! And Jazz!"

Danny ran over to the side of the roof and looked down. His clone was barely holding together to continue driving the intangible RV and Tucker and Sam were driving right at each other with no room to maneuver.

"NO!"

Danny tried to fly towards them, but the Ghostly Wail took much of his energy and he could fly that fast. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz screamed as the vehicles came closer to each other.

"Hit the brakes!" Danny shouted.

Tucker and Sam slammed on the brakes and the cars began to slow down.

"Please stop, please stop," Danny begged.

Tucker and Sam were gritting their teeth and their eyes shut while Jazz covered her eyes as the cars came closer to each other. Seconds later, both cars were at a complete stop. Tucker and Sam each opened one eye and noticed that they were okay. Jazz peaked through her fingers. Everyone gave a heavy sigh of relief. Danny's duplicate and the RV went tangible again and pulled up behind Sam. Danny landed nearby and practically collapsed onto his hands and knees as a white ring appeared around him and he reverted back to human form. As soon as that happened, the duplicate disappeared. Everyone got out of the cars and rushed over to Danny. Tucker and Sam helped him up to his feet.

"Danny, you okay?" Tucker asked, "I heard that Ghostly Wail from three blocks over."

"Really? You heard that over your _screaming_?" Danny quipped.

"Yeah, he's definitely fine, Tucker," said Jazz.

"Hey, why is there ectoplasm under the cars?" Sam asked.

"If I had to guess, I'm betting those were Magnus' goons," said Danny, "By the way, where did he go?"

"You didn't catch him?" Sam asked.

"I figured you would be happy that I think your lives take priority," Danny quipped.

"Danny…" Sam said sternly.

"Don't worry," he said, pulling out his Thermos as they walked over to where Magnus was, "I'm sure he's still unconscious. I mean, when's the last time someone withstood a Ghostly Wail?"

"How about now?" Tucker asked pointing to where Magnus was supposed to be.

"Uh…"

"And the spell book is gone too!" Jazz exclaimed.

"Where did he go?" Sam asked.

Magnus' evil chuckle filled the air. The gang looked around, wondering where it was coming from.

"You may have bested me this time, Phantom," said Magnus, "But you have no idea what we are capable of!"

"_We_? What do you mean?" Danny asked.

Magnus replied with another laugh, which faded away.

"Great, he got away," Danny sighed.

"It's fine, dude," said Tucker, "We'll get him next time."

The passenger of the RV opened, and Jack hopped out with the Jack o' Nine Tails held firmly in his hands.

"Kids!" he exclaimed, "Did you see it!? The ghost!? Where is it!?"

Danny hid his Thermos behind his back.

"Uh, gee, sorry, dad, you just missed it," he said, "It flew off before you woke up."

"Darn!" Jack exclaimed, "Well, there's always next time. By the way, Danny, how did we get home? The last thing I remember was fighting it in the RV and then nothing."

"Oh, shoot! I forgot! My dad is still on the freeway!" Tucker exclaimed as he ran back to his car, "I'll call you guys later, bye!"

"Well, this sure was one hectic day of driving, huh, Danny?" Sam asked.

"Pfft, you're telling me," he replied, "I'm just glad this wasn't _during _a driving test."

"Yeah, we definitely would have failed," Sam laughed.

"Speaking of driver's test," Jack interjected, "I think you are more than ready, son!"

Danny blinked a couple of times.

"Uh… really?"

"Yup! Just remember everything I taught you and you should pass with flying colors!"

"Okay… if you say so," Danny said, not really convinced.

Jazz approached Sam.

"Why don't I take you home now, Sam?" she offered.

"Yeah, that would be great," said Sam, "Later, Danny."

Danny waved goodbye as Jazz and Sam got into her car and drove off. He felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed it was his father's.

"Tell me, Danny, how did we get home?"

"Uh… you know what, dad? You hit your head pretty hard, why don't we go inside and have you lie down?" Danny insisted as he pushed his father into the Fenton Works.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz pulled up to the Manson residence and let Sam out.

"Thanks, Jazz."

"Oh, no worries!"

"And sorry for snapping at your earlier," Sam continued, "I know you were just trying to help, and you didn't deserve that. Especially since _you _were the one doing me a favor."

"Apology accepted," said Jazz, "And I'm sorry for overwhelming you. Friends?"

"Friends."

Sam stepped out of the car and closed it behind her.

"Just wanted to keep my brother's girlfriend safe," Jazz said to herself.

"What was that?" Sam asked, startling Jazz.

She looked over and noticed that the passenger door window was down, and Sam was giving her a questionable look.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing!" Jazz laughed nervously.

Sam shrugged and headed for her front door.

"Clueless," Jazz sighed, making sure the window was rolled up before she said it.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A week later, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were outside the DMV by Jazz's car, waiting for Danny to finish his driver's test.

"I look good," Tucker said, admiring his license.

Sam rolled her eyes.

"It's just a picture, Tucker," she said, "I'm fine with just having a license."

Jazz looked nervously over at the DMV entrance.

"I wonder what's taking Danny so long," she said, "You don't think he…?"

"No way!" Tucker exclaimed, "I'm sure he's fine and that we have nothing to worry about."

"Look, here he comes now," said Sam.

Danny walked out of the DMV with folded papers in his hand and made his way over to the car. He approached them and they saw disappointment written all over his face. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz's faces fell.

"Danny?" Sam asked, "Are you okay?"

He didn't reply and handed her the papers. Sam unfolded them and looked inside. She was perplexed.

"Danny, isn't this…?"

Danny starting chortling before completely laughing.

"Danny!" Sam scorned.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it!"

"What's going on?" Tucker asked.

Danny took his license from Sam and showed it to Tucker and Jazz.

"Congratulations, little brother," Jazz said, giving Danny a hug.

"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about," said Tucker.

"Well, now that we all have our licenses, what should we do?" Sam asked.

"Lunch at the Nasty Burger?" Jazz suggested, "My treat."

"Sounds good to me," said Danny as he walked around the car to get into the passenger seat.

"Uh-uh," said Jazz.

"Huh?"

Jazz tossed him her car keys. Danny caught them and gave her a look.

"You break it, you bought it," she said as she walked around the car.

Danny smiled and walked over to the driver's side.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Somewhere in the middle of the woods outside of Amity Park, Magnus hid within a cave. An altar was set up with symbols and deactivated seals drawn everywhere. He pulled out the spell book and flipped to a bookmarked page.

"Korilath tasarak boli!"

The seal on the wall began to glow a deep purple followed by a blurry mirage appearing in the center. Magnus kneeled before the glow.

"My master," said Magnus.

"Magnus," said a calm, dark voice, "Has Phantom been dealt with?"

"No," Magnus replied, "and we may have complications."

"The boy is more powerful than we initially believed, I know."

"How do we proceed?"

"I'll deal with it in time. For now, remain in hiding until I return."

"Understood… I hope you remember your promise."

"Oh, I have not, magician. Trust me, when all's said and done, the soul of Danny Phantom will be yours."

Dark laughter filled the cave.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Nightmerica is one of Sam's favorite horror movie characters, as shown in "Memory Blank".**

**** Reference to Danny learning how to use his ice powers in "Urban Jungle".**

***** According to the DP Wiki, Johnny 13's Shadow lacks identity and personality beyond its joy for creating havoc, therefore it has no gender and it can and will be referred to as an 'it'. If for whatever reason I accidentally refer to it as 'he' or 'him', I apologize.**

****** The Fenton Bazooka creates portals to the Ghost Zone when shot near ghosts and instantly sends ghosts back to the Ghost Zone when directly hit, as seen in "Public Enemies".**

******* Watch the episode "Reign of Terror" if you've forgotten what Pariah's army looked like.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Fun Fact: Johnny 13 and Kitty were voiced by William Baldwin and his wife, Chynna Phillips, respectively. William is Alec Baldwin's brother.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Like I said before, I've finished my spring semester and decided to take a break this summer. From school. I might have a job offer in the coming weeks, but at least I'll have lots of time to work on this and SA:D&R. Speaking of Sonic Adventure, the next chapter should be out soon. I'm currently jumping between this story and that one, depending on my mood.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this episode.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	3. Episode 54: Hunting Time

**Welcome back, phans!**

**Nothing new to say, let's get straight into it.**

**Ver. 1.0.1 (1/3/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Fixed grammatical errors.**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom (yet), but a man, or more accurately man-child, can dream. Okay, let's begin the episode.**

**Note: Don't get overhyped with the upcoming cameo; that character won't actually have a role until Season 4.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was late into the night in New York City, appropriately nicknamed the "city that never sleeps" with all the traffic and thousands of people walking along the streets. Appearing from a dark alleyway was a short figure carrying a duffle bag and a large black backpack. They were wearing a dark grey hooded jacket, black pants, and a pair of black boots. Walking down the street, they glanced around as though they were looking for something.

"Ugh," he moaned hoarsely.

He continued walking along the block until he came across a store that sold electronics. At the window was a large flat screen TV, channeled to a news network.

"Thanks for the update, Chuck," said a news anchor, "In other news, Amity Park has, yet again, been subjected to another ghost attack. The ghostly entity with powers to possess technology known as Technus attempted to take over the city using stolen technology from Amity Park's local ghost hunters, Jack and Maddie Fenton."

"Hm?"

The individual backed up a couple of steps and listened to the story.

"The ghost combined the weapons from the Fentons with a variety of different electrical devices from the homes of many of the city's citizens to become a hulking robotic menace that brought terror to Amity Park, the news anchor continued, "The Fentons attempted to capture the ghost, but they were unable to do so."

A clip played showing Maddie fighting off possessed drones with a long staff weapon***** and Jack using the Fenton Chiller to try and slow Technus down. He was trying, but not really succeeding.

"Luckily, Amity Park's own savior, Danny Phantom, arrived at the scene and battled the ghost."

The clip cut to showing Danny Phantom flying towards Technus, with his fists glowing green. Technus readied a shoulder mounted laser and fired a green energy beam at Danny, who flew out of the laser's path. He then flew up to Technus' TV head and punched it, causing the TV to spin around multiple times. Danny fired a couple of ghost rays at what appeared to be a weak spot on Technus' chest. Technus' head stopped spinning and looked down at his chest.

"Aw, poop," he sighed.

Technus' body exploded and the ghost was blasted into the ground. Danny pulled out his Fenton Thermos and captured the ghost. As people began to cheer, a shot from the Chiller flew passed Danny. Not taking any chances, Danny took off before his parents had the chance to capture _him_.

"After a brief struggle, Phantom managed to defeat and capture the ghost. Where he went and what he does with all the ghosts he captures remains a mystery to this day," the news anchor concluded.

"Isn't he awesome?"

The stranger looked over and noticed that a girl was standing next to him, watching the news segment as well.

"I wish I was as cool as him," the girl continued, "Being considered a hero and able to save the day."

The stranger only nodded in response. Out of the corner of his eye, the stranger saw something and took off after it. The girl watched in confusion as the stranger sprinted through the crowd.

"Wonder what he's in a hurry for," she wondered out loud.

Suddenly a blue mist escaped the girl's mouth. She looked around and saw a couple of ectopuses fly into a nearby restaurant and begin terrorizing the customers.

"Well," said the girl, "can't let my cousin be the only one to save the day."

The girl ran off into the alleyway. A flash of white shined from within, followed by Dani Phantom flying off to kick ghost butt.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Hunting Time (Episode 54)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny Phantom arrived at the Fenton Labs and pulled out his Thermos. He approached the Fenton Portal, opened the doors, and released Technus and the other ghosts he had captured that evening back into the Ghost Zone.

"And that should be wrap for the ghosts tonight," said Danny as he closed the portal and reverted to human, "***Yawn* **I'm exhausted."

Danny left the lab and made his way up to his room.

"Hmm… I can't help but get the feeling that I'm forgetting something."

Halfway up the stairs to the second floor, Jazz appeared from around the corner in her nightgown.

"Danny?" she asked, surprised, "Where were you? It's almost two in the morning! Sam and Tucker called earlier and didn't know where you were."

Danny's eyes widened.

"Oh, shoot!" he hissed, smacking himself on the forehead, "I forgot about that. I was on my way over when Technus showed up. I've been so busy chasing him and a couple of other ghosts all night that I forgot to call them."

"Relax, Danny. I'm sure they'll understand," said Jazz.

"This is the third night in a row this has happened," Danny explained, "I _promised_ them that I would make it tonight. That plan sure went out the window real fast."

"Come on," said Jazz, "it won't be _that_ bad. They're your best friends, Danny. I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"What do you mean you forgot!?" Tucker and Sam shouted into their cellphones, causing Danny to push his cellphone away from his head.

It was now morning and Danny had decided to call his friends and apologize.

"Look, I'm sorry for blowing you guys off these past couple of days," said Danny, "It's just-"

"Just what!?" Tucker interrupted, "How could you have forgotten to at least _call us_ to let us know that you would be running late or not be able to make it!?"

"I've been busy!" Danny exclaimed, "It's not like I wanted to not hang out with you guys."

"Danny, I get that you have to protect everyone," said Sam, "but you could try to consider how we feel when it feels like we're being ignored by you."

"What!?" Danny exclaimed as he laid sat down at kitchen table, "I'm not ignoring you guys!"

"I said it _feels_ like it, Danny," Sam clarified, "We know you really don't."

"Well, since you seem to be free now, what should we do today?" Tucker asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but it's scorching hot today," said Danny, "How does the waterpark sound? I'll even make it up to you guys and pay both of your entry fees."

"Well, when you say that," said Tucker, "I'm down."

"I suppose that's a good apology with this heat," said Sam.

Jazz came into the kitchen in her workout gear and grabbed a water from the fridge.

"Should we go in half an hour?" Danny asked.

Jazz listened in to Danny's phone call, even though she was unable to hear whoever was on the other end.

"Great. See you guys in a few," said Danny before he hung up.

He let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes.

"Everything okay, Danny?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah," Danny yawned, "Everything's fine. Aside from a certain eavesdropping sister listening to my call."

"Sorry, I was curious."

"You are forgiven," Danny joked, "Hey, uh… you wouldn't mind dropping me, Tucker, and Sam at the waterpark in a few minutes."

"Sure, no problem. Let me just get cleaned up first and I'll take you guys," said Jazz, "Are they on their way here or are we picking them up?"

"We're picking them up."

"Alright."

Jazz paused and stared at Danny.

"Are you feeling okay, Danny?" she asked, "You don't look so good."

"I'm just tired. Late nights, you know? I'm fine, don't worry."

"Okay, if you say so," said Jazz, not really convinced, as she walked out of the kitchen.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A short time later, Jazz pulled up to the Floody Waters waterpark. Many other people were there to beat the heat as well. Danny, Tucker, and Sam got out of Jazz's car, all in their swimming attire******.

"You sure you have enough money, Danny?" Jazz asked, "I don't mind paying if-"

"Jazz, for the millionth time," Danny laughed, "I've got this."

"Alright. Have fun guys."

Jazz drove off and the gang turned towards the entrance.

"Well, we are not gonna cool off just standing around here," said Tucker, "Let's go."

They walk over to the entrance

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple miles out, a ghost rocketed over Amity Park. He had dull-blue skin, dark green irises, messy black fringe hair, and was wearing a dark grey hooded cloak and black leather gloves. He phased into a nearby apartment. He turned invisible and waited. A couple of moments later, loud crashing noises from within the apartment complex.

"When will he give up!?" the ghost exclaimed as he turned intangible and rushed out of the apartment just as the door crashed open.

The ghost flew through the buildings, running from whatever was after him. He looked over his shoulder to see if he was still being chased. When he looked forward again, he noticed that he was approaching the waterpark.

"Maybe I can hide amongst the crowd," he said to himself.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny and Sam were peacefully sitting on the pool step, which ran around the entire pool, enjoying the water cooling their bodies, eyes closed.

"This sure beats the heat, huh?" Danny asked.

"Yup," Sam replied, "It's nice to actually relax for once and not worry about anything."

Danny's eyes peaked open and he glanced over at Sam. He could help but admire her.

"Danny? Are you okay?" she asked him, sliding her sunglasses down a little to show Danny that her eyes were open.

"Uh, nothing!" he cried out of embarrassment, causing Sam to blink in confusion a couple of times, "I mean, uh… I'm fine, Sam. Why do you ask?"

"Your face is turning red," she said, pointing to his face, "Did you put sunblock on? You know how easily you get sunburned."

Before Danny could answer, Tucker shouted from high above.

"Hey, guys!"

Danny and Sam looked up and saw Tucker standing at the end of a diving board. He jumped off and balled up.

"CANNON BAAALLLL!"

***SPLASH***

Tucker swam up to the surface and sighed in relaxation. He looked over at Danny and Sam.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, Tucker," said Danny, relieved that Sam didn't notice he was blushing before.

"If you call getting my sunglasses wet as 'nothing'," Sam said as she got out of the pool to grab a towel.

Tucker swam over and sat next to Danny.

"This was a great idea, Danny," he said, "Not even my air conditioning unit was able to handle this heat."

"Like I said, consider this as my apology," Danny replied.

Sam came back in the pool, her sunglasses now dried off, and sat down beside Danny.

"Hey, I'm gonna grab some ice cream," Danny said, "You guys want any?"

"I'll have vanilla," Sam replied.

"Get me some frozen lemonade," Tucker answered.********

"Alright," Danny said as he hopped out of the pool, "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

As Danny walked away to grab their snacks, Tucker and Sam leaned back and relaxed against the pool. A few moments later, Danny gasped, and a blue mist escaped from his mouth, making stop in his tracks.

"Come on," he groaned, "Is it too much to ask for one day off?"

Danny looked up and saw a cloaked ghost fly above the waterpark. He watched as it flew into a nearby building and followed after it. He arrived at the building and noticed that the only way in was an employee-only door. Danny looked around to make sure no one was around before turning intangible and phase through the door. Once inside, he became tangible again and began looking for the ghost. It was just bright enough inside for him to see in the dark. The room was just a generic storage room. Danny his eyes glanced around and locked onto the ghost, who also just noticed him.

"No!" the ghost exclaimed, cowering behind his arms, "Don't hurt me! Stay away!"

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Um… hi?" he said, "Are you okay?"

The ghost opened his eyes and recognized who it was.

"Oh, it's you!" the ghost sighed in relief, "You… you've got to help me!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, slow down there, pal," Danny said, holding his hands up, "Calm down and tell me what your problem is."

"No… no, you… you don't understand!" the ghost exclaimed, "You've got to protect me."

"_Protect you_?" Danny asked, "From who?"

***Bam* *Bam* *Bam***

Danny and the ghost looked back at the door as something banged against it.

"Oh, no…" the ghost moaned, "He found me!"

"Who!?"

***BAM***

The door was bashed open and the hooded tracker stepped inside. The light glistened across the red lenses of his balaclava^ as he stood before the occupants. Danny blinked in confusion for a moment.

"HIM!" the ghost cried out in fear.

"_Him_?" Danny asked, "What's so bad about him?"

The newcomer pulled out a rifle and aimed it at them.

"Oh no," Danny groaned.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam was sitting in one of the chairs beside the pool, relaxing under the shade of an umbrella. She pulled out her phone to check the time.

"Danny's been gone for a while now," she said, "I wonder what's taking him so long."

Tucker floated by on his back.

"The line is probably long, Sam," she said, "It _is _a hot day, you know."

Sam tapped her chin.

"I suppose you're right."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny was paralyzed in place. The stranger glared at Danny for a moment before shifting his aim towards the ghost and fired a couple of shots at him.

"EEP!"

The ghost flew around the bullets and attempted to phase through the walls, but the shooter tossed a grenade at the wall. It exploded and covered the wall with a strange green goo that sparked with electricity. The ghost slammed into it and got electrocuted. Danny watched in shock as the ghost slumped to the ground and the shooter slowly approached the ghost. Danny frowned and his eyes began to glow green. A white ring appeared around his waist, but before he could react, the shooter shoved him aside, sending Danny into a pile of boxes. The shooter reached into his backpack to grab something. The ghost suddenly shot up and phased through the shooter and flew out of the building. The shooter ran after the ghost.

"Uughh…" Danny moaned as he got back up, "What the heck is going on!?"

He looked around and realized he was all alone.

"Not good."

Danny rushed to the door and saw the two running off.

"I'm going ghost!"

Danny transformed in Danny Phantom and took off after the ghost and his pursuer.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam was sitting at the pool's edge, lazily kicking the water while Tucker was sitting in a chair, checking his PDA.

"Alright, _now_ I'm getting annoyed," said Tucker, "Where's Danny?"

Sam sighed and looked up into the sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him flying off into the city.

"_**ARE YOU SERIOUS!?**_" she shouted.

Tucker looked over at Sam and followed her gaze.

"I vote we head home and meet up at the Nasty Burger tomorrow," Tucker said, deadpanned.

"Agreed," said Sam.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The ghost flew above the streets as his follower was closing in on him. The shooter pulled out a scope and attacked it to the rifle, which extended into a sniper rifle. He was changing the magazine when he noticed Danny flying after them.

"Uurrrrgh…" he moaned and pulled out a different magazine instead and loaded into the gun.

"Man, this guy is really fast," Danny said, "Especially for a guy who is shorter than _me_."

The shooter continued to give chase as he aimed his sniper at the ghost and prepared to fire. Danny glared at him and flew down at the shooter. He leaned his shoulder into the shooter and sent him flying into a building wall.

"Hey, just so you know, if you want to use that thing, you'll need a license and it can only be used at a shooting range," Danny quipped.

The sniper shook his head and glared at Danny. He then jerked his thumb back to the waterpark and waved Danny off before running after the ghost again.

"Wait… did he just… _wave me off_!?"

Danny chased after him again. The shooter took aim at the ghost again and fired. The bullet exploded and a net went flying towards the ghost. A green ghost ray came from above and destroyed the net before it entangled the intended target. The ghost flew around the corner of a building as Danny landed before the shooter, blocking his path.

"Look, pal, I'm in no mood to deal with amateur ghost hunters today," said Danny, "So why don't you go back home and leave this ghost to me?"

The shooter rolled his eyes and began to move around Danny, but Phantom refused to let him by.

"Trust me, pal," said Danny, "You don't want to do this."

The shooter attempted to move around Danny again, but got the same result.

"Last chance," Danny warned.

Before Danny could react, the shooter grabbed him by the arm and shoved him towards the building. The force of the shove was so strong that it knocked the wind out of Danny.

"Ugghh… that hurt," Danny muttered as he got back up to his feet.

He looked up and saw that the shooter was once again leaving him in the dust. Danny glared at him as his eyes began to glow in frustration.

"Alright, time to do things the old fashion way."

Danny went intangible and flew into the ground. The ghost continued flying his way through buildings and alleyways in hopes to escape the shooter. He looked behind him and sighed.

"***Phew* **I finally lost him."

The moment he looked forward, he shrieked; the shooter was just down the road, aiming his rifle right at him. His trigger finger began to squeeze down on the trigger just as Danny appeared from the ground beneath him and land a perfect blow in his stomach.

***BAM***

The shooter went straight up into the air and landed inside a dump truck loaded with manure.

"Uuuuhhh…" the shooter moaned before losing consciousness.

Danny watched as the truck and its new passenger drove off into the distance.

"You…"

Danny turned around and saw the ghost approach him.

"You saved me," the ghost said in disbelief, "I can't believe it! I actually lost the Hunter! Woohoo!"

"Uh… yeah, sure, no problem," said Danny, "…Well I suppose he won't be bothering you for a while now. Later!"

Danny was about to fly off, but a sudden grip on his arm from the ghost prevented him from doing so.

"No, wait! Please! TAKE ME WITH YOU!" the ghost begged.

"Take you with me? Why?" Danny asked.

The ghost released Danny and began to shake nervously.

"You don't understand, Phantom. The Hunter, he's… he's no ordinary ghost hunter! He's a ghost killer!"

Danny deadpanned.

"That's basically what every ghost hunter is," Danny remarked, "Well, usually. I'm only capture ghosts and return them to the Ghost Zone. Can't say for anyone else, in all honesty."

"No, you don't get it," the ghost continued, "The Hunter isn't a simple ghost hunter. He _kills any and all _ghosts that he can find!"

"Well, then, what do you need me to do?" Danny asked with uncertainty, "You're a ghost, you can literally hide _anywhere_."

"Please…" the ghost begged, "Just let me stay close for a couple of days. The Hunter may be gone for now, but he'll be back on my trail within the hour. I know it!"

"Ughh… oh, alright," Danny sighed, "But just until we are certain you can hide from this ghost hunter."

"Oh, thank you, Phantom! If you help me, I will be in your debt forever!"

"Uh, no, no, that's fine," Danny insisted.

The ghost looked around cautiously.

"So, uh… do you know a place I could hide."

"I think I do," said Danny, "Come on follow me."

Danny took off into the air and the ghost followed close by. Danny's legs had turned into a ghostly tail.

"By the way, what's your name?" Danny asked.

"It's Vin," the ghost replied.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Not far from Danny and Vin, Sam was on her way home, talking to Tucker on her phone.

"I'm serious, Tucker," she said, "Maybe Danny just doesn't want us to help him anymore."

"_Pfft. Yeah right, Sam,"_ Tucker replied, _"Look, we'll meet up at the Nasty Burger and talk to him. Maybe there's something going on that we don't know about and he just doesn't want us to worry."_

Sam arrived in front of the Manson residence and stopped at the steps.

"Well," she sighed, "knowing Danny, he'll probably just deny something's bothering him. But at least we'll know."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something in the sky. She looked up and saw the it was Danny and some random ghost flying next to him.

"Tucker…"

"_The ghost flying next to Danny? Yeah, I saw."_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"So, why do you call him 'the Hunter'?" Danny asked, "That sounds pretty generic for a guy dress like that."

"I didn't come up with it," Vin explained, "It was just a label given to him by a bunch of ghosts I knew down in Florida."

"Florida?"

"Yeah, that's where we roamed. That is… it was, until _he _showed up."

"You can't tell me that one guy has been chasing you all the way from Florida," said Danny.

"Yup," Vin replied, "And let me tell you something, Phantom; this guy makes the Guys in White look like a bunch of babies."

"Why is he hunting ghosts?"

Vin sighed.

"About a year ago, some new guy showed up in Miami, where me and my fellow ghost pals hung around. At first, we thought this amateur ghost hunter would give up after a couple of weeks. Turned out, he wasn't just any ghost hunter. He was a lot like you."

"Me?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, he would go around and capture ghosts that were doing harm to humans or intended to do evil. Always there to help the innocent. And for ghosts like me, who didn't cause any trouble, we were all left alone to do what we wanted."

"What changed?"

Vin sighed.

"A month ago, some hotshot troublemaker took things… too far."

"Too far?"

"We don't know who exactly, but a couple of people close to the Hunter were… taken from him."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"As in they are no longer with us," Vin clarified.

"Oh."

"After the accident, the Hunter went berserk. He hunted down the ghost responsible and took him out for good. But it didn't stop there. He went after every and any ghost he could find and has destroyed them all! He's made it his mission to rid the world of all ghosts!"

"Is that why he's after you?" Danny asked.

"Well… yes and no. You see, I'm actually know as Vindicator, as I have made it my sole duty to help innocent ghosts escape the Hunter's wrath. I help hide ghosts and lead them to any Ghost Portal I can, while keeping the Hunter away from them. He's after me so he can extract information from me about where I'm hiding the ghosts."

"Wait," Danny said, stopping midair, "Are there ghosts in hiding right now!?"

Vin's face fell.

"Not anymore…"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Vin replied, "It was my fault. I made the mistake to not triple check my surroundings and I will not say that the guilt does not fall onto me."

"But it doesn't!" Danny exclaimed, "The Hunter is the one to blame for all of this!"

"Maybe," Vin replied, "But it doesn't change the fact that my mistake cost those ghosts their existence."

Vin looked around nervously again.

"We should keep moving," he said urgently, "The Hunter is a notorious tracker. He can follow a ghost's trail even from intangibility and invisibility."

"Well, don't you worry," said Danny as they continued flying to their destination, "I know one place that not even other ghost hunters would ever even think about looking for ghosts."

"If you're thinking the Ghost Zone, that's probably not the best place."

"Why not?"

"I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard that the Hunter has even been able to enter the Ghost Zone on his own. No one knows how he does it."

"That's… not good," Danny said nervously, "But that's not what I was referring to."

"Where then?"

Danny pointed ahead toward the Fenton Works.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz was in the kitchen, grabbing some water out of the fridge after her daily workout session. Danny's voice could be heard faintly, along with one unknown to her.

"Danny?" she asked.

Jazz poked her head around the corner and watched as Danny, now in human form, led a ghost she had never seen before down to the Fenton Labs. Jazz raised an eyebrow and followed them.

"And this is the Fenton Works Labs," Danny said to Vin.

"Wow…" Vin said in amazement, "Look at all this stuff!"

"Coming from ghost, I'm not sure to how react to that," Danny quipped.

Vin floated around in looked at the weapons and devices around the lab.

"Is that…" Vin said, pointing at a large device.

"Yup," said Danny, "That is the Fenton Ghost Portal."

"Incredible," said Vin, "I've heard of this portal, but I always believed it to be a rumor. I never knew humans could actually _build _a ghost portal!"

"Danny?"

Danny and Vin whipped their heads around and saw Jazz approaching them.

"What's going on here?" she asked, "And who's this?"

"It's kind of a long story, Jazz," Danny yawned.

"Then give me the short version."

"This is Vin, he's being hunted by some wacko ghost hunter who kills ghosts, and he wants me to protect him until the Hunter is no longer after him."

"Oh, cool!" Vin exclaimed.

Danny and Jazz turned to him and saw him staring at the Fenton Ghost Chiller.

"Isn't this the amazing Ghost Chiller that I've heard about?" Vin asked.

"Yes, it is," Danny said, yawning again.

"Danny, are you sure you're okay?" Jazz asked, "You look like you could use a nap."

"That's what I plan to do," Danny said, "But first, I need to call Tucker and Sam."

"Did you ditch them again?" she asked, sympathetically.

"Yeah…" Danny admitted as he called Sam, "They are going to be so mad at me."

The phone kept ringing.

"Well, Sam's definitely mad," said Danny, "She's not answering. Maybe Tucker will talk to me."

Same thing happened when Danny called Tucker.

"They're both mad."

"Danny! Jazz!" Jack shouted from upstairs, "You kids down here!?"

"My parents!" Danny exclaimed, "Vin, quick! Turn invisible and don't made a sound!"

Vin nodded and vanished from sight just as Jack and Maddie appeared form the stairs.

"Ah, there you two are," said Jack. "We have big news to tell you!"

"Dad, please don't tell me it's another fudge eating contest," Jazz said, slightly disgusted.

"What's wrong with fudge?" Jack asked, "Never mind. Kids! Your mother and I managed to snag that last two tickets to the Ghost Hunting Couples Convention!"

"Your father and I will be gone for the next couple of days, so Jazz, please watch your younger brother while we're gone, would you?"

"Mom! Dad!" Danny exclaimed, "I'm not a kid anymore! I can look after myself!"

"Oh, relax, Danny," said Jazz, "It's not like I'm going to baby you or anything."

"Wonderful!" said Maddie, "I'll finish packing right now, Jack. I'll meet you by the cab in just a moment!"

Maddie left the lab and Jack began to follow.

"Oh, and Danny," he said, looking over his shoulder, "Remember to-"

"Change the Ecto-Filtrator," Danny finished, yawning again, "Yeah, I did that this morning."

"That's my boy!" Jack exclaimed as he went back upstairs.

As soon as he was out of sight, Vin reappeared beside Danny and Jazz.

"Well, I'm going to leave you two alone," said Jazz, "Don't get into trouble."

"Who were those people you were talking about before?" Vin asked Danny.

"Tucker and Sam? They're my best friends."

"Sounds like you did something to make them upset."

Danny frowned and slumped.

"Hey, cheer up!" said Vin, "Friends are always there for each other. And they always help one another."

"I hope you're right," said Danny.

His phone chimed and Danny checked the text he just got.

"_Nasty Burger. Meet me and Sam there. Tomorrow at noon."_

"Well," said Danny, "it could have been worse."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Late that night, Danny Phantom was out on patrol, alone. He hovered above the buildings and looked around.

"_Danny, are you sure you don't need me to stay out with you longer?" _Jazz asked on the Fenton Phone, _"I don't mind stay up a little longer and helping out."_

"I'm sure, Jazz," Danny replied, "I'll be back home soon. Just one more quick look around and then I'm done."

"_Okay," _said Jazz, _"Stay safe, little brother."_

Danny hung up and put the Fenton Phone away.

"Any sign of him?" Vin asked, even though he was nowhere in sight.

"Nope," Danny replied, "Just stay invisible and stay close to me."

"Okay."

Danny looked around before flying off towards another part of town. As he was flying his ghost sense kept going off.

"Sorry if I'm the one making your ghost sense go off, Phantom," Vin apologized.

"It's fine," said Danny, "Besides, it won't do me any good, since the Hunter isn't a ghost."

"Good point."

Danny yawned.

"Tired?" Vin asked, "Maybe we should head back."

"Yeah, I guess now would be a good time to call it a night."

Suddenly, out of the corner of Danny's eye, he spotted someone running along the rooftops.

"Oh, boy," Danny moaned, "Looks like we've got trouble."

"What!? Is it him!?" Vin exclaimed.

"Ssshh!" Danny hushed him as he turned invisible, "Over there, next to the water tower."

Vin looked over at the water tower and saw the Hunter prowling around with his back turned to them. He looked around the area, gripping his rifle tightly.

"Come on," said Danny, "Let's get back to the Fenton Works before he figures out that we're here."

"Yeah," Vin said, nervously, "Good plan."

As the two flew off back to the Fenton Works, the Hunter turned around and glared in the direction they went

"Hmm…" he hummed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, the gang were sitting at a table at the Nasty Burger. Tucker and Sam were glaring at Danny.

"And that's what happened yesterday," Danny said, finishing his explanation, "Again, I'm sorry!"

Tucker and Sam glanced at each other before having a private conversation.

"Alright, Danny," said Sam, "We just need to know one thing."

"What's going on?" Tucker asked, bluntly, "You been acting like this for a few days now."

Danny sighed as his ghost sense went off.

"It's nothing, guys," he said, "Just a couple of long nights, nothing I haven't handled before."

"Danny, if you need us to help you later at night, we can help," said Sam.

"No, no, it's fine, really," Danny insisted as his ghost sense went off again.

"Dude, you do realize your ghost sense is going off like crazy, right?" Tucker asked, pointing to the blue mist.

"Yeah, that's me," said a voice above them, "Sorry."

They looked up and saw Vin briefly reveal himself before turning invisible again.

"How long has he been floating there?" Tucker asked.

"The whole time," said Danny, "I'm hoping to keep him out of sight for his own safety will do the trick."

"Alright, so, what's the plan?" Sam asked.

"Keep Vin safe and out of sight from the Hunter," Danny yawned, stretching his arms out, "As for the Hunter directly, I think I have an idea of what to do."

"Well, staying at the Fenton Works and near you has worked so far," said Vin, "I don't see him… yet."

Danny finished sipping his drink, shaking the cup to see if there was any soda left.

"What can we do to help?" Sam asked.

"Actually, I think it would be best if you guys left this one up to me," Danny said nervously, "It's not that I don't think you guys can't help, but I don't know what this guy is capable of and I'd rather not put your lives at risk."

"How is this any different than the times we fought Freakshow?" Sam asked.

"Well…" Danny said.

"Or the time we first fought Youngblood?" Tucker interrupted.

"But-"

"How about Magnus, who's still out there?" Vin added.

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Danny shouted before giving a sigh, "Look, once we know more about this guy, then we can decide if you can help or not. But for now, please, just leave it to me."

"Come on, dude," said Tucker, "We haven't come across anything that we haven't been able to fight together."

"I can think of one," Danny muttered.

"Danny, maybe they _can _help," said Vin, "The more help the better."

The gang got up and headed for the exit.

"So, since every ghost is accounted for in the Ghost Zone, except for Magnus," said Danny, "what should we do today?"

"All day movie marathon?" Sam asked, "I was thinking foreign horror this time."

"Sure," Danny said as he pushed the doors open, "let's get going."

***WUMP***

Suddenly, the Hunter landed beside them.

"You again!?" Danny exclaimed.

Vin reappeared, now held under the Hunter's foot. Danny quickly pulled Tucker and Sam in front of him. A flash of white light appeared behind them before Danny Phantom floated into the air.

"I may have gone easy on you yesterday," said Danny, "but today? I'm not playing games. Now let the ghost go and maybe I won't throw you into Walker's prison."

The Hunter waved Danny off and pulled out a cylindrical device.

"A Fenton Thermos!?" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

As the Hunter aimed the Thermos at Vin, Danny dashed forward and overshadowed the Hunter.

"Uhhh… urrgghh…" the Hunter moaned as he stumbled back.

After a brief struggle, his arms went limp.

"Ha!" Tucker exclaimed, "Not so scary when you controlled by a ghost now aren't you?"

The Hunter's head looked up at the group for a moment. Suddenly, he bashed his head against the wall, forcing Danny out of his body. Danny slumped to the ground, feeling very dazed. The Hunter shook his head and glared at the group.

"Okay, then," said Tucker, "Maybe Danny was right about us staying out of this."

Vin got back up and took off into the air. The Hunter gave chase while Tucker and Sam helped Danny up to his feet.

"You alright, Danny?" Sam asked, "I've never seen something like that before."

"I'm fine," said Danny, "Where did they go?"

"That way," Tucker pointed.

"Okay, you guys want to help?" Danny asked.

"Just tell us what to do," said Tucker.

Vin raced around the corner of a building as the Hunter closed in on him. He took out his sniper rifle and loaded a clip inside. The two continued the chase around another block. As the Hunter turned around another corner, he was introduced to Danny's fly-kick to the chest.

***WHAM***

The Hunter flew a couple feet back and landed on his back. He looked up and saw Danny coming at him with a readied fist. As Danny's fist flew towards the Hunter's head, the Hunter rolled out of the way and got back up to his feet.

"Vin!" Danny shouted, "Get someplace safe. I'll take care of this guy."

Vin nodded and turned around to find someplace to hide until it was safe. The Hunter spun around and aimed at the ghost.

"VIN, LOOK OUT!" Danny shouted as he pounced at the Hunter.

Just as Vin turned himself intangible, the Hunter fired a green glowing bullet at him. Danny managed to slightly redirect where the sniper was aimed and the bullet grazed Vin's shoulder. Although he was intangible, the strange bullet managed to cut his arm and bleed some ectoplasm. As Vin vanished into a nearby apartment, the Hunter grunted in frustration and threw Danny aside. Danny stopped midair and flew at the Hunter. He took a swing at the sniper, but he brought up his arms and blocked the attack. Danny took another swing, but the hunter countered and shoved Danny away. The two glared at each other as Tucker and Sam made their way over to a couple of mailboxes and hid behind them.

"You think Danny's got this?" Sam quietly asked Tucker.

"Of course he does!" he quietly exclaimed, "As long as we all work together, nothing can bring this dream team down."

Danny rushed the Hunter again and sent a barrage of punches and kicks at him. But no matter what Danny did, the Hunter either blocked, ducked, or cartwheeled out of the way. Even with his enhanced agility, Danny couldn't land a hit. Tucker gave Sam a nudge with his elbow and they both nodded. Danny was starting to get tired as the Hunter did nothing to attack. The sniper released the used shell casing from his rifle and turned to chase after Vin again. He didn't even get the chance to turn all the way around before a green ghost ray hit him in the left shoulder. Danny looked over and saw the Sam had her Wrist Ray on. He smiled at her and slammed his shoulder into the Hunter's back. The Hunter, now on one knee, was about to counter, but Danny grabbed his left arm and threw him over his shoulder. The Hunter landed near the mailboxes and screamed hoarsely as he grabbed his left shoulder in pain. Danny floated over and felt a bit guilty.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

***BAM***

In a blink of an eye, the Hunter grabbed the mailboxes that Tucker and Sam hid behind, ripped them from the bolts that held them to the ground, and batted Danny with them in one swing. As Danny through the wall of a nearby mattress store that was conveniently located, the Hunter tossed aside the metal containers he had in each hand. Grabbing his left shoulder, the Hunter began his search for Vin as Tucker and Sam nervously backed away from him.

"There's no way that this guy is kid," Tucker said, "I told you it had to be a very short adult!"

"Not now, Tucker," said Sam.

Suddenly, a huge green ghost ray shot from the mattress store and hit the Hunter directly in the back, sending him into the side of a trailer of a truck. As the Hunter tried to pry himself out of the dented metal, another large ghost ray hit him in the chest. This time is was a blue one. Tucker and Sam turned and saw that it was Danny. The rays iced the Hunter's body over, leaving him stuck to the truck and only his head freed. The Hunter struggled to free himself. As he did, the truck began to drive away. The Hunter glared at Vin as he appeared nearby, sticking his tongue out at the Hunter. The four regrouped.

"You guys okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," said Vin, "Just a cut on my arm. I'm fine now."

"We're also fine," said Tucker.

"How did that bullet even hurt you?" Danny asked, "I saw you go intangible."

"Uh, I was a bit slow becoming completely intangible," Vin admitted nervously.

"How did he know where to find us?" Sam asked, "Was he really waiting at the Nasty Burger the entire time!?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Vin, "I've seen and heard about what many ghost hunters can do. This guy is a whole new story."

"And how did he get his hands on a Fenton Thermos?" Tucker asked.

"He must have followed us back to the Fenton Works!" Danny exclaimed.

"So, what now?" Tucker asked.

"There's only one place that I could possibly hide for the time being," said Vin, "The Ghost Zone."

"Yeah, but _where _in the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked, "You told me that this guy has allegedly been able to enter and leave that place. And as long as we keep the Ghost Portal locked up"

"I know, but I don't think it would be wise for me to stay here and possibly cause harm to innocent people," the ghost explained, "The Hunter hasn't hurt anyone before, but it could happen."

"He does have a point," said Sam.

"Alright," said Danny, "Anyplace in particular?"

"Well… no, not really," said Vin, "I was hoping you could accompany me for a little while and help me find a place to stay low for a while."

Tucker and Sam groaned in dismay. Danny sighed.

"Look, I promised to help him," he said, "This will only take an hour at the most. Really! If we don't find a good place for Vin to hide, then he'll just tag along with me for a while and we'll continue looking tomorrow. Okay?"

"Well… if you say so," said Tucker.

He glanced over at Sam who shook her head no.

"Um, not to inconvenience you two, why don't you two go into the Ghost Zone and we stay here," Tucker suggested.

Danny raised his eyebrow.

"You guys don't want to help?" he asked.

"Well, like Vin said, the Hunter only goes after ghosts, right? So, we should be safe," Tucker explained, "Right, Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm with Tucker on this one."

"Okay," Danny yawned, "Whatever."

"What's _that _suppose to mean!?" Sam snapped.

"Sorry, that came out wrong," said Danny, realizing his error, "I meant to say, 'that's fine'."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Sam exclaimed, "What did you mean when you said that!?"

"Sam, I didn't mean-"

"What!? Is hanging out with us getting in the way of your ghost catching time!?" Sam shouted.

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, "That's not even close to being true!"

"Uh, guys?" Tucker asked, "Maybe we shouldn't argue about this right now?"

"Stay out of this, Foley!" Sam shouted.

"Okay," Tucker said, backing away nervously as Sam turned back to Danny.

"All you've been doing lately is going off and fighting ghosts instead of spending time with us!" Sam continued, "Clearly there's something you're not telling us, and I want to know what it is!"

"There's nothing to tell, Sam!" said Danny, "Look, it's not my fault that there's never enough time for me to hang out with you guys."

"So you choose ghost fighting over spending time with us!?" Sam asked.

"No! Of course not!"

Danny sighed.

"Look, just give me an hour," he said, "We'll hang out, watch a movie or two, and then talk. But the longer we stall, the greater the risk that the Hunter will return."

"Alright," Sam sighed, "Just call us if something comes up, will ya?"

"I will," Danny replied as he turned to Vin, "Come on, let's get to the Fenton Works."

As the two flew off back to Danny's house, Tucker and Sam gave each other a look of uncertainty.

"Do you think he'll make it this time?" Sam asked.

"I highly doubt it," Tucker replied, "But it's possible."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the Ghost Zone, Danny and Vin floated around in the vast ghostly world, wondering where the best place to hide would be.

"Ugh," Vin moaned, "We've been at this for almost hour now. Maybe we should call it."

"Not yet," said Danny, "We still have another 10 minutes left."

As they continued flying, Danny noticed a familiar location.

"Why not there?" he asked with a smirk.

"Skulker's Island? Seriously!?" Vin asked, not amused.

"Oh, come on, how hard can it be for you to hide from an actual _ghost _hunter?" Danny laughed.

Vin sighed in response and kept floating on.

"Oh, come on!" Danny exclaimed, "I'm just trying to lighten' the mood."

He looked down and noticed the one of many graveyards scattered throughout the Ghost Zone.

"Why not at this graveyard?" he asked.

Vin looked down and saw all the green skeletons roaming around.

"I'd prefer someplace less… ironic?" he replied.

"You can't be picky, Vin," said Danny, "Besides this will only be temporary. OOF!"

Danny accidently bumped into Vin, who stopped flying when he noticed something. Danny followed the ghost's awed eyes and began to feel uncomfortable.

"Uh… not this place," Danny said nervously.

"Why not?" Vin asked, "This is the best place!"

Vin flew over to the entrance. Danny followed nervously.

"Vin, do you even know _who _resides here?"

"Yeah, Pariah Dark," he answered, "The evil ghost king that _you _defeated."

"I did do that," said Danny, "Look, you were right, I'm pushing my luck in terms of how much time I have left."

"Come on, just a quick peak," Vin insisted, "If it's too dangerous, then we'll call it. Deal?"

"Fine," Danny sighed and followed Vin inside.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Sam's house, Tucker and Sam were getting ready for the movie marathon. Sam was waiting on Tucker, who grabbed himself a large tub of popcorn and hopped into his seat.

"Tucker, what do think is up with Danny?"

"Eh," he shrugged, "Who knows? But I did see the bags under his eyes."

"So did I," said Sam, "I wonder what he's been doing."

Sam's Fenton Phone began ringing. She put it on and answered.

"Danny?"

"_Yeah, it's me," _he replied, _"We're just about done here. We think we found a good place for Vin to hide. I should be there in about 15 minutes."_

"Really!?" Sam asked, pleasantly surprised, "Great! See you in a few minutes then!"

Sam hung up and looked over at Tucker, noticing that he was smirking at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothin'."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny put his Fenton Phone away and rejoined Vin at the entrance hall of Pariah's Keep. Danny looked around with unease.

"You alright, Phantom?" Vin asked, "You seem worried."

"I'm fine," he replied, "It's just that I haven't been here since I defeated Pariah Dark."

Vin floated around for a moment, taking in the scene.

"What do you think?" Danny asked.

"I think this will work," Vin replied, "As long as I stay here in the hall, I should have nothing to worry about. Besides, who'd want to come here?"

"Good point," said Danny, "Not even the Fright Knight comes here."

Danny floated over to the stairs that led further into the keep. Everything was the same as it was about a year ago, but he couldn't help but feel like something was off. As he turned around, his eyes noticed a lone green bone on the steps.

"That's strange," he said, picking it up, "No one's been here, but this bone looks like it was recently left here. All the other ones are covered in dust, why isn't this one?"

"DANNY! BEHIND Y-"

***WUMP***

"VIN!?" Danny shouted as he looked over his shoulder.

***WUMP***

Danny lost consciousness and tumbled down the steps. A dark figure stood before him.

"Hmm…" the figure hummed, "And he didn't revert back to human.**^***"

The figure glanced at the floor and stepped on a pressure plate, activating the ceiling trap. The ceiling slowly crept down towards the ground and spikes appeared from within.

"Shame that the ceiling is coming down. If he were in human form, he'd have nothing to lose."

The figure left the Keep, leaving Danny defenseless to do anything as the ceiling continued toward him.

"How Magnus was unable to defeat this child will be a mystery to me," he muttered darkly.

On a bare tree, just outside the entrance to the keep, a raven watched the figure leave. It cawed a couple of times before taking flight.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Sam's place, she was starting to get very impatient. She had her head resting in one hand while the other drummed the armrest.

"That's it!" she exclaimed, "I'm going to call him and give him a piece of my mind!"

"Whoa, calm down, Sam!" said Tucker, "He said he'd be here in about 15 minutes."

"Yeah, and it's been over 20 now, Tucker," she remarked as she pulled out her Fenton Phone, "We used to always go and help him on patrol. Until a couple of weeks ago, we we're doing just fine alternating between us and Jazz. Now I'm getting really annoyed."

Just as she was about to call Danny, her cellphone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"_Sam? Is that you?"_

"Jazz?" Sam asked, "Yeah, it's me. What's up?"

"_Have you heard from Danny? I don't know where he is."_

Sam pondered for a moment about what to say.

"Mmm… nope," she answered, "Haven't seen or heard from him since over an hour ago."

"_You sure?"_ Jazz asked, _"Alright. Hey, listen, I shouldn't be getting involved, but I thought I should let you guys know that you mean a lot to Danny. You know that, right?"_

"Of course we do, Jazz," Sam replied.

"_I saying this because… look, I hope you guys aren't too mad at Danny for blowing you off so much lately. He's just been so busy lately catching ghosts that I don't think he's taking go care of himself."_

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, as Tucker leaned in to hear the conversation.

"_I haven't told Danny that I know, but he's been pulling all-nighters almost every night these past couple of weeks. I'm almost certain that he's been getting only three hours of sleep at most each night."_

Sam and Tucker began to feel guilty.

"_I know he says he can handle staying out later than you guys can, and I know what's been happening to you guys isn't fair, but I don't want you guys to take it out on him too hard. He puts too much time and effort into keeping everyone safe. It's not fair for him as well."_

"Uh, yeah," said Sam, "Thanks, Jazz. We'll keep that in mind the next time we see him."

"_Thanks," _Jazz replied, _"And don't tell Danny I said this to you."_

"No worries," said Sam, "Later."

Sam hung up and sighed.

"You know," said Tucker, "it's not even his fault that all these ghost occurrences happen so inconveniently."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "and it's so easy for us to forget that Danny's the one doing all the hard work. Ugh, we should have gone with him and Vin."

"Well, we'll just have to apologize when we see him," said Tucker.

Tucker's PDA beeped, indicating a new text message.

"That might be Danny," he said as he pulled his PDA out.

His face became perplexed when he read the message.

"Is it from Danny?" Sam asked.

"No," Tucker replied, "It's from an unknown number."

"Ignore it, then."

"No, wait, read this!"

Tucker handed Sam his PDA.

"_Phantom. Pariah's Keep. Now."_

Sam was now confused.

"Pariah's Keep? Why would he be there?" she asked.

"I don't know, but if Danny's there, he could be in trouble," said Tucker.

"We better hurry," said Sam, "Let's get to the Fenton Works!"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back in Pariah's Keep, Danny hadn't even moved an inch. The ceiling was now only a dozen feet or so from him. Time was running out.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Tucker and Sam ran down the sidewalk leading to the Fenton Works. At a stop sign, they run in front of a moving car, which stopped in time.

"Hey, you kids! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry!" they shouted over their shoulders, not slowing down.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The ceiling was now only 8 feet above Danny, and he still hadn't shown any signs of waking up.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz was in the living room, reading one of her psychology books when Tucker and Sam rushed through the front door. They took a moment to catch their breath.

"Tucker? Sam?" Jazz asked, "What's going on?"

"Danny… Pariah's Keep… trouble," Sam said in between pants.

"Say no more!" Jazz exclaimed as she grabbed the two by their wrists and pulled them to the lab.

She practically threw Tucker and Sam into the Specter Speeder as she strapped herself in the pilot's seat.

"Lead the way," she told them as she shot them into the Ghost Zone.

A moment later, thanks to Tucker and Sam's navigation, they arrived at Pariah's Keep. Tucker and Sam didn't even wait for Jazz to land before hopping out and rushing into Pariah's Keep.

"Danny!?" Sam called out, "Are you here!?"

"Danny!?" Tucker shouted.

He looked up when he felt a pebble hit him on the shoulder.

"Sam, the ceiling's coming down!"

"Doesn't matter, it won't hurt us, remember?"

"Oh, right," Tucker smirked, "Humans are the _ghosts _in the Ghost Zone."

The looked around and saw Phantom lying on the ground.

"DANNY!" they exclaimed as they rushed over to his side.

The ceiling was now 6 feet above their heads.

"We need to get him out of here!" Sam exclaimed, "He's still in his ghost form! The ceiling will crush him!"

They carried Danny with each arm around their shoulders and hurried to the exit. The ceiling was getting too low for them to stand up without Danny touching the spikes.

"Ughh…" Danny moaned.

He shook his head and looked at his friends.

"Tucker? Sam? What's going on?"

"Danny! Turn back into your human form!" Sam shouted as they slowly approached the exit.

"What? Why?"

"THE CEILING!" Tucker and Sam shouted.

Danny looked up and his eyes widened.

"AAHH!" he yelped as he tripped and fell to the ground.

Tucker and Sam, who fell through the exit, turned back to try and help Danny, but the ceiling was now too low for them to see.

"DANNY!" Sam cried out.

***BOOM***

The ceiling met the floor with a loud boom, which echoed throughout the keep. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were mortified. Suddenly, Danny Fenton appeared from the entrance and leaned against his knees, panting as he tried to calm himself down.

"Danny!" the others exclaimed, and they rushed over to him.

"Uh, guys?" Danny said, raising a finger to stop them.

But it was too late, they all squeezed him into a group hug.

"Guys?" Danny said, strained, "Can't… breathe."

They released Danny and allowed him to catch his breath.

"Danny, are you alright?" Sam asked, "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, "Vin and I were checking out Pariah's Keep, figuring it would be a decent place for him to hide. I noticed that someone had been there recently and then someone knocked me out."

Danny looked around.

"Oh, no," he said, "Where's Vin!?"

The gang looked around but didn't see him.

"Ugghh…" someone moaned.

They looked over and saw Vin floating towards them, rubbing his head.

"Vin!" Danny exclaimed.

Vin got up and shook his head.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, just a headache," Vin replied, "I'm glad you're okay, Phantom."

"Vin, did you see who knocked Danny out?" Tucker asked.

"I'm… not sure…" Vin said, trying his best to remember, "But… I think it was the Hunter!"

"What!?" Tucker exclaimed, "You mean he _can _come into the Ghost Zone!?"

"I don't really remember," said Vin, "I remember seeing someone sneaking up behind Danny, warning him, getting grabbed and then everything turning black. Next thing I know, I'm waking up over there."

"Maybe... he's a ghost?" Sam suggested.

"Then why would he need to run on foot?" Tucker asked, "Or use a rifle?"

"Maybe he's overshadowing someone?" Sam suggested.

"Guys!" Jazz shouted, getting their attention, "Danny almost got himself killed. Wouldn't it be best if we head home and let him rest?"

"But what if the Hunter is there?" Sam asked.

"Leave him to me," said Vin.

Everyone turned to Vin.

"The Hunter isn't your problem, he's mine," he explained, "I'll leave Amity Park and he'll follow. It's not the best of plans, but it's the best one I can come up with."

"But what if he catches you?" Danny asked.

Vin shrugged.

"Hey, I've managed to stay away this long," he chuckled, "I know things haven't exactly gone as planned, Phantom, but… thank you."

Vin held out his hand and Danny shook it.

"Yeah, sorry for not doing a better job," said Dann, "You sure about this?"

Vin nodded.

"Don't worry, Phantom. I'm sure we'll meet again in the future. Hopefully under different circumstances."

"That would be nice," said Danny, "Good luck helping other ghosts."

Vin waved farewell to everyone and flew off towards the Ghost Portal. Danny sighed and made his way onto the Speeder. The others followed. A moment later, Jazz flew them towards the Portal. Danny sat between Tucker and Sam, with Tucker sitting next to Jazz.

"Sorry for ruining another movie marathon," Danny apologized.

"Hey, it's not your fault, Danny," said Sam, "And you shouldn't be apologizing."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, we should be the ones apologizing to _you_," said Tucker.

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Because we know that you've been staying up late while patrolling," said Sam.

"What? Who told you…?"

Danny glanced over at Jazz, who just smirked without looking at him.

"Of course," he sighed.

"We didn't know you were pushing yourself so much lately," Sam continued, "Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped."

"Because… ***sigh* **Because I didn't want you guys to miss out on enjoying your summer vacation just over a few hours of extra patrol. I thought it wouldn't be fair for you guys to not have time to relax more often like normal people our age."

"Dude, we're your best friends," said Tucker, "We can handle anything if we work together. You don't have to do it alone."

"Plus," Sam added, "we're _anything _but normal."

Danny smiled.

"You guys are the best, you know that?" he said, "And I'll stop blowing you guys off without telling you what's going on."

"As long as you don't stay out late without us, then you've got a deal," said Sam, "And, um, sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"Same," said Danny before he yawned, "Thanks, guys."

"Still tired?" Tucker joked, "We just saved your ghost butt just for you sleeping on the job."

"Mm-hm," Danny moaned as his eyelids began to droop.

"Well, we're almost at your place," said Sam, "You can sleep as long as you want once we get-"

She stopped when she heard Danny snoring and felt his head on her shoulder. She blinked in surprise a couple of times. Tucker and Jazz smirked at the scene. Sam noticed and glared at them.

"If you say one word, I'll-"

"Lovebirds," Tucker and Jazz said simultaneously.

"WE'RE NOT-" Sam began to shout, but stopped and sighed when she remembered Danny was sleeping, "What's the point?"

Sam smiled and leaned her head back, looking away from the others to hide her blush.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Outside of Amity Park, Vin flew as fast as he could into the distance as the sun began to set.

"Not exactly what I wanted," he said to himself, "But for now, I can keep the Hunter away from Phantom."

Nearby, along a cliffside, the Hunter scanned the area below.

"Hmph," he moaned.

The Hunter rubbed his left shoulder and looked back over to Amity Park. He kneeled to one knee and groaned. The sound of a raven's cawing caught his attention. He looked up and saw the approaching ghost raven. It landed on his right shoulder. The raven cawed a couple of times.

"So… he's still alive. Oh, they will pay dearly for that," the Hunter said hoarsely, as he rubbed his neck.

The raven cawed again.

"Soon," the Hunter replied as he stood up.

The sun disappeared in the distance and darkness began to blanket the sky. The Hunter pulled back his hood and removed his balaclava. His eyes glanced over and saw Vin flying away.

"Just not soon enough," he growled as he put his balaclava back on and followed the ghost.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** This is the same weapon used in the episode "Maternal Instincts". I have no clue what the correct name of the staff is. If anyone has any idea, let me know.**

**** The gang is wearing the exact swim gear as seen in "Lucky in Love". What? You want Sam in a two piece? Isn't that what Google Images is for? Perverts.**

***** Danny wears a shirt because he easily gets sunburned. This is confirmed by Butch Hartman in the YouTube video "107 Danny Phantom Facts YOU Should Know! Feat. Butch Hartman (Tooned Up #241)".**

****** Tucker is lactose intolerant as of "Memory Blank". I point this out for future reference, so keep this in mind.**

**^ I distinguish between a ski mask and a balaclava. A ski mask is used by skiers, snowboards, and robbers. A balaclava is more for military and law enforcement officers. Have you ever played F.E.A.R.? Never mind, just look up FEAR Point Man and that's the balaclava I refer to. (F.E.A.R. belongs to Monolith Productions and WB Games) .**

**^* I can't find **_**ANY **_**reason anywhere as to why this happened in "D-Stabilized". For the sake of reason, assume that when Phantom loses consciousness, it's random whether or not he (and Danielle) will revert back to human form. If anyone can find a reason why this happened, please enlighten me. I'll think of some bull in future episodes if need be.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**There might be a short break until the next episode is released. I need to focus on my other story before this one takes over my time… **_**forever~**_**. Anyone who can guess that reference… uh, well, I'll think of a reward eventually. Maybe a cookie?**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this episode.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	4. Episode 55: The Enemy of My Enemy

**Welcome back, phans!**

**Surprised to see me again so soon? Don't be. I don't wanna talk about it. But enough about me! On with the story!**

**Ver. 1.0.2 (1/3/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Minor grammatical errors fixed.**

**Update (1.0.2): Grammatical errors fixed.**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom, but I do feel that a vast majority of fanfic stories here should be made into actual episodes… specifically mine. Because I'm selfish. But we could use other stories too. Okay, let's begin the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was noon and Valerie Gray was busy working out in her room of the apartment she and her father were still living in. She was practicing her taekwondo on a punching bag as she reflected on everything that had happened in the past year.

"_Cut it out, you stupid mutt!" Danny shouted at Cujo, trying to stop him from wreaking havoc at Axion Labs._

"_Stand back everyone," said Damon Gray, "This state-of-the-art security system can stop anything!"_

_Cujo dragged Danny around, destroying the labs. The security system did nothing to the ghost dog and the half-ghost as they easily turned intangible and phased through the net fired upon them. Instead, it trapped Valerie, her father, and his boss._

"_Except a pasty-faced teenager," his boss growled._

"_I'm fired, aren't I?"_

"_You're not just fired, you're __**ruined**__."_*****

Valerie was now jumping rope; taking a quick break to wipe sweat from her forehead before beginning again.

"'_Heard about your recent ghost troubles'," Valerie read aloud, "'Hope this will help. Vlad.' Don't know who you are, Vlad, but if this thing does what I think it does, I can't say that I care."_

_She picked up the pistol inside and accidentally fired it._

"_Valerie!?" her father called out._

"_I'm okay!" she replied._*****

Valerie was jogging around her neighborhood as evening slowly approached. She stopped at the step of her apartment to catch her breath. As she wiped her forehead, she looked up and saw Danny Phantom flying across the sky, chasing the Box Ghost.

"_I mean, I've had a lot of fun these last few days, but my life's way too complicated right now for us to be anything other than… friends," she told Danny._

"_Just… friends?" he repeated, sounding disappointed, "B-b-but I thought…"_

"_I thought so too," Valerie said sadly, "But there's something important I have to do, and I don't want you to get hurt because of it. Besides, it's not like you were going to give me some lame class ring, right?"_

_She leaned over and kissed Danny's cheek._******

Valerie entered her apartment, walking past her father, who was busy with financials at the dinner table.

"Hey, sweetie."

"Hi, daddy," she replied, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, "How was work today?"

"It was good," he replied, "You know, even after all these months, I'm still amazed and grateful Mayor Masters gave me my old job back at the labs."

"Gee, I wonder why," Valerie muttered to herself before sipping her water.

"What was that, Valerie?"

"Uh, nothing! I was just saying that it wouldn't have happened if Vladco hadn't taken over Axion Labs. I'm grateful for him as well."

"Just a couple more months and we'll be financially set once again," her father announced as he finished the last of the bills.

Valerie finished her water and went to her room. She looked over and glared at a photo of Vlad Masters nailed to the wall.

"_Mayor Masters?" Valerie called out as she made her way back inside Vlad's Manor._

"_Disappeared!" Vlad exclaimed, "We were so close, if only we'd managed to melt that little brat down!"_

"_Is that Plasmius?" Valerie asked as she peaked around some rubble she hid behind._

"_And who knew Valerie would be so easy to fool?" Vlad Masters continued before transforming into Vlad Plasmius, "'Trapping' me in the closet. Oh, ingenious! For a smart girl, she's very easily led."_

_The Red Huntress was speechless at the revelation before her. She turned and flew off on her board before Vlad could see her._

"_Vlad Masters is __**Vlad PLASMIUS**__!?" Valerie exclaimed once she was outside, "Phantom was right all along! And all this time I've been doing his dirty work! Well, not anymore. Better watch out, Vlad… 'cause one of the ghosts I'm hunting now is __**you**__!"_*******

Valerie grabbed a dart off her desk and threw it at the photo, nailing Vlad directly between the eyes.

"Your days are numbered, _Plasmius_," Valerie said angrily, "Just you wait."

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: The Enemy of My Enemy (Episode 55)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were walking down the sidewalk heading for the Nasty Burger.

"Sure is nice to have a day where we have no worries," said Tucker.

"Heh-heh. Yeah, tell me about it," Danny chuckled, "With six weeks left until school starts again, we need to make the best with the time we have left."

"Any ideas of what we should do today?" Sam asked them, "I've got nothing."

"Yeah, me neither," said Tucker as they began to turn around the corner of a building.

"We could-"

***Wham***

Danny and an unseen individual walked into each other and fell on their rears.

"Ow," Danny moaned, rubbing his forehead, "Sorry about that, I didn't see you there."

"No, _I'm _sorry. I was distracted… Danny?"

As Danny got up to his feet, he looked up and saw that the person he walked into was Valerie Gray.

"Valerie?"

"Wow, what a way to run into your ex," Tucker quipped, "Literally."

Sam smirked at Tucker's joke as Danny offered Valerie a hand up.

"Thanks," she said as she took his hand and was helped up to her feet, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Uh, yeah, it sure has," Danny replied, "So… what's up?"

"Eh, nothing much," Valerie answered, "Still living in that apartment with my dad, but we should be able to live someplace nicer in a few months."

"That's great to hear," said Tucker, "Is nice to see that you and your dad have managed to rise up after hitting rock bottom."

"Thanks, Tucker," said Valerie, "Where are you guys headed?"

"We're not really sure," said Danny, "But since we bumped into you, how about we grab a bite at the mall and catch up some more?"

Sam started getting jealous.

"Uh, Danny? We-"

"Really?" Valerie exclaimed, accidentally interrupting Sam.

"No-" Sam began to say.

"Why, of course you can!" Tucker exclaimed, smirking at Sam's displeasure, "We're all friends here, so why not?"

Sam glared at Tucker.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, the gang was at the Amity Park Mall, having drinks and talking about recent activities as they sat around a table.

"It's nice hanging out with you guys," said Valerie, "We haven't even talked since summer break began."

"It has been a couple months," said Sam.

"Aside from saving Danielle last month," Danny said under his breath.

"So…" said Valerie, "Anything else happening?"

"Not really," said Danny, "I mean, I help my parents around the lab, but nothing special."

Valerie looked at Sam and smirked.

"Have you been seeing anyone recently?" Valerie asked Danny, causing him to faintly blush.

"What? N-no… not at the moment."

"Oh, really?" Valerie asked with a raised brow, "You're not dating _anyone_?"

She leaned over the table a little as Sam took another sip of her drink.

"Like a certain goth girl?" she teased, "Sitting right next to you?"

Sam's eyes widened and she did a spit-take.

"_**WHAT!?**_" Sam shrieked.

"We're not dating!" she and Danny exclaimed at the same time.

Tucker deadpanned at Sam as remnants of her drink dripped off his face.

"Thanks, Sam."

"Oops, uh, sorry, Tucker," Sam apologized with a nervous smile.

Valerie laughed.

"Oh, man, you guys sure know how to make someone laugh," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye and handed Tucker a napkin, "Seriously, though, are you two dating?"

"No!" they exclaimed.

"Hmm… interesting," said Valerie.

"What?" Danny asked.

"Nothing," said Valerie, "I'm just surprised you two haven't hooked up yet."

"Danny and I are just friends," said Sam, "That's it."

"Really?" Valerie asked, "You two sure seem like your more than friends."

Danny sighed.

"Look, Valerie, Sam's right; we're just-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Danny's ghost sense went off.

"Uh, could you hold that thought, please?" he asked, "I need to, uh, go do something really quick."

The others watched as Danny got up and ran into a jewelry store.

"Are you two really not dating?" Valerie asked Sam, who glared at her, "I mean, why else would he go into a jewelry store?"

Suddenly, people started screaming outside the mall and running away.

"I wonder what's going on," said Tucker.

"I think I see what," Sam said, pointing up in the air.

The teens looked up and saw three ghost vultures wearing red fezzes phase through the window before turning tangible. The birds floated in the air, flapping their wings as they looked around.

"'ey, you two see her anywhere?" one of them asked.

"Not yet, but we'll keep looking," said another.

"I don't know about you guys, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be," said the third.

"You've had that same excuse for the past two thousand years!" the first vulture exclaimed.

Valerie glanced around for a moment.

"Hey, it was nice catching up with you guys," she told Tucker and Sam, "but I just remembered that I have something important to do."

She took off to another part of the mall.

"Tell Danny it was nice to see him again and that I hope we do this again sometime!" she shouted over her shoulder before disappearing into a deli shop.

Valerie ran into the back and sighed in relief when she noticed that all the workers had run off. Pink energy surrounded her as she mentally summoned her advanced suit on her body. Ready for action, the Red Huntress hopped in the air, summoned her board under her feet, and flew off to face the vulture ghosts.

"Maybe she's not here," said one of the vultures, "You sure you saw her heading this way?"

Suddenly, a metal hook grabbed the vulture's talon. The three birds followed the cable to Valerie's right wrist. With a smirk, she electrocuted the ghost bird, causing it to convulse in the air for a moment before its slightly charred body fell to the ground.

"That ghost hunter!" the second vulture exclaimed.

"One down, two to go," Valerie smirked as she retracted her hook.

"Don't worry, I have an idea," said the third vulture, "You fly towards her while I get her from behind."

The second vulture nodded and darted towards Valerie while the third one turned invisible and flew around to get behind her. As the vulture closed in on Valerie, she mentally summoned her hand blaster on top of her hand and fired a purple ghost ray at the it. The attack hit the vulture and slammed it against the wall.

"Two down," said Valerie.

She lowered her hand and began looking around.

"Now, where's the last one?" she asked aloud.

Behind her, the last vulture reappeared and began flying towards her. Before the vulture could do anything, a green ghost ray came from the side and hit him.

"Huh?" Valerie exclaimed, watching the ghost vulture fly into a nearby store.

"Need a hand?"

Valerie turned around and saw Danny Phantom floating nearby.

"Not really, Phantom," she told him, "I've got this under control."

The three vultures regroup in the air and dove down together towards Valerie. The ghost hunter turned to face the vultures and fired the board's dart thrower, sending dozens of dark pink darts at the avian ghosts. The alarmed vultures tried to skid to a halt in the air but were too late and were bombarded by the attack. Danny watched the vultures fall to the ground.

"Like I said," said Valerie, "I've got it under control."

"Oh, do you, my dear?" said a familiar voice.

Danny and Valerie looked up and saw Vlad Plasmius floating above them. Tucker and Sam, who were hiding around a corner, poked their heads out and saw him.

"Vlad?" Tucker and Sam said in surprise.

"_Plasmius_," the Red Huntress growled before she aimed her hand blaster at the villain and fired.

Vlad grinned and held out a hand, summoning an ecto-energy shield construct that deflected the ghost rays back at Valerie and Danny. Valerie stopped firing and she and Danny flew out of the way. Vlad relinquished the construct and flew down towards Valerie. He held out his hands in an attempt to grab her. He only got halfway to Valerie before Danny flew up from under and uppercut him. Vlad went up and fell to the ground, right on top of his vulture minions.

"Offer still stands," Danny said over his shoulder to Valerie.

Vlad got back up and glared down at the birds.

"Get up and find that girl!" he ordered, causing the vultures to move their rears and return to their search.

Vlad turned back to Danny and Valerie and flew towards them.

"No thanks," said Valerie, "This guy is mine."

She began her approach towards Vlad.

"You can have the crony birds!" she shouted to Danny as she and Vlad began firing ghost rays at each other.

Danny looked down and saw two of the vulture ghosts flying towards him. He glared at them and fired two ghost rays from his hands. Nearby, Tucker and Sam remained out of sight as they kept an eye on Danny and Valerie, in case either of them needed help. The third vulture phased through the ground behind them and saw them. He turned tangible and grabbed Sam's arms.

"Hey!" Sam shouted as she struggled, "Let go of me, you crazy old bird!"

"Boss!" the vulture shouted, trying to lift Sam into the air but being anchored by Tucker holding one of the talons, "I found the girl!"

Danny turned his attention to his friends.

"Sam!" he exclaimed.

Danny started flying over to help her, but the two vultures flew in his way.

"Where do you think you're going, ghost boy?" the first one asked.

Danny grabbed the two ghost vultures by their necks and slammed their heads together. He then released the dazed birds and let them fall as he went over to help Sam. The vulture was still trying to lift Sam off the ground but was not succeeding. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face Danny.

***BAM***

Danny punched the vulture in the face, making him release Sam, and sent him into a wall.

"Thanks, Danny," said Sam.

"No problem," he replied, "You two should get some place safe and leave Vlad to me and Valerie."

"Okay," said Tucker, "Stay safe, dude."

Danny turned around and flew into the air to join the battle as Tucker and Sam began to leave the mall. Meanwhile, Vlad dodged another of Valerie's attacks and noticed the teens running off.

"Of course those useless avian dolts would mess up," he muttered, "Must I always do things myself?"

Vlad turned back to Valerie and glared at her. As Valerie readied her wrist cannon, Vlad duplicated himself so that there were now four Vlads in front of her, making her confused. The four Vlads launched themselves towards her. She took aim at the left middle one and fired, but realized it was a clone when it vanished upon being hit. She fired two more times, but only hit clones. The real Vlad grabbed her wrist and shocked her using the Ghost Stinger.

"AAAIIIGGHH!"

"Valerie!" Danny exclaimed.

Her body went limp and Vlad released her, causing her to fall towards the ground. Danny raced after Valerie and caught her before she hit the ground. Once she was safely in his arms, her suit vanished. With Danny distracted, Vlad flies after Tucker and Sam. The two teens were looking over their shoulders as they ran outside. When they looked forward, they stopped dead in their tracks before Vlad.

"Going somewhere?" he asked them.

Before they could react, Vlad grabbed Sam by her wrist and began to fly off with her.

"Let go of me!" Sam shouted, "Danny! HELP!"

Phantom rushed outside, still holding an unconscious Valerie. He flew over to Tucker and set the Red Huntress down against the wall next to him.

"Watch her," Danny ordered.

"I know, just go!" Tucker exclaimed as he knelt down to check Valerie for any obvious injuries.

Danny glared at Vlad and took off after him. As Sam struggled in his arms, Vlad looked over his shoulder and saw Danny catching up.

"Not yet, little badger," Vlad smirked as he created a duplicate of himself.

The duplicate flew towards Danny and fired multiple ghost rays at him. Danny snaked his way through the attacks and tried to fly around the duplicate.

"Ah-ah-ah," the duplicate teased as it grabbed Danny's leg and threw him in the opposite direction, "Sorry, boy, but my plans require your friend in order to work."

"I'm in no mood for your games, Plasmius!" Danny exclaimed as he swung his fists at the duplicate, "Let Sam go!"

"Or what?" the duplicate asked, "Are you going to cry? Threaten to-"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blue ghost ray beamed through the air and hit the duplicate in the back, causing it to disappear.

"What the-!?" Danny exclaimed, "Where did _that _come from!?"

"DANNY, HELP ME!" Sam screamed.

'Sam," said Danny, "I'm coming!"

Phantom rocketed through the air to make up for lost time. Sam continued to struggle in Vlad's grip, but his enhanced strength to too great for her to break away from.

"Stop struggling," Vlad said sternly, "You're not making things any easier for yourself."

Not far behind, Danny inched his way closer towards them. Vlad looked over his shoulder and growled.

"Why are kids so stubborn these days?" he asked himself.

Sam started get feistier in Vlad's grip.

"If do not stop squirming this instant, I will- AAAHHHH!"

Another blue ghost ray shot through the air, this time with traces of electricity sparking around it. It hit Vlad in the back, shocking him and causing him to drop Sam.

"WHHHOOAAAA!" Sam cried out as she fell.

Danny shot down towards the ground and caught her a couple of feet above the pavement. He slowly floated up, holding Sam bridal style.

"My hero," Sam teased.

"Well, if you wanted me to carry you like this, you could have just asked," Danny quipped.

"Uh… what?" she asked, caught off-guard by what he just said.

Danny realized what he just said and blushed a little.

"Never mind!" he exclaimed, "Forget I just said that. Heh heh…"

Vlad shook his head and looked around.

"Where in the world did _that _come from!?" he wondered aloud.

He turned to Danny and grunted at him.

"This isn't over, Daniel!" he warned, "I don't know what you hit me with, but I will return! And you will regret it."

The villain turned around and flew off towards the distance. The three vulture ghosts flew past Danny and Sam, trying to keep up with their master.

"Boss, ***pant pant* **wait for us!" they cried out.

Danny and Sam glared at the retreating foes for a moment before Danny turned around and flew them back to Tucker and Valerie.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was late in the afternoon as Tucker waited impatiently for Danny and Sam to return. He looked up and his face brightened up when he saw Sam safely in Danny's arms. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone.

"It would be criminal of me to miss this photo opportunity," he smirked to himself, "The consequences will be so worth it."

Danny landed next to Tucker and let Sam down onto her feet.

"You two alright?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," said Danny, before looking down at Valerie, "How's Valerie?"

"She's still knocked out," Tucker replied, "But she appears to be uninjured."

Danny sighed in relief.

"That's good."

"By the way, how did you hit Vlad with that ice ray, Danny?" Tucker asked.

"Huh?" Danny exclaimed, turning to his friend, "I didn't. That wasn't me."

"It wasn't!?" Tucker and Sam exclaimed at the same time.

"No," said Danny, "The color was a dark blue, not my icy blue color when I use my ice powers."

"Yeah, and didn't Vlad also get electrocuted?" Sam asked, "It could have been Technus."

No one noticed Valerie slightly opening one eye and listening in to their conversation.

"I doubt that, since I just dealt with him the other day," said Danny, "We'll discuss this later, but first I need to get Valerie back home."

Sam frowned in jealousy.

"What should we do after you drop her off?" Tucker asked.

"Well, we could check out that new version of _Doomed _that was released the recently," Danny suggested, "I've heard that the new levels and areas are pretty good."

"Sounds like a plan," said Tucker, "Sam? You in?"

"Hm? Yeah, sure," she answered, "I'll download the new version and meet you guys in-game."

Danny picked up Valerie.

"Okay," he said, "see you guys in a few minutes."

He and Valerie took off into the air, off towards her apartment, while Tucker and Sam headed to their respected homes. No one noticed the ghost raven watching them from the roof nearby. It spread its wings and flew off into the distance.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Evening was slowly approaching when Phantom arrived at Valerie's apartment. He phased through the wall and entered her room. He set her down on her bed, careful to not wake her. As he turns to leave, Danny noticed the photo of Vlad Masters on the wall, covered with darts.

"Sheesh," he muttered, "Something tells me that the employer-employee relationship is not doing so well."

"You could say that."

Danny jumped and turned around to see Valerie standing before him with her arms crossed.

"Um, sorry for intruding," said Danny, "I was just bringing you back to your place and… well, uh…"

"It's fine, ghost," said Valerie, "Thank you. You can leave now."

"Really?" Danny asked, "You're not gonna try and destroy me?"

Valerie reached over to her desk and pulled out her ecto-gun on Danny.

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" Danny exclaimed as he turned intangible and phased through the wall.

Valerie sighed and put her weapon away. She sat down on her bed and glared at the photo. Suddenly, her cellphone began to ring.

"Hello?" she answered.

"_Good evening, Ms. Gray," _said a voice on the other end.

"Good evening, Mayor Masters," Valerie said with feigned positivity, "To what do I owe the pleasure for this call?"

"_I have some troubling new information on Danny Phantom that I wish to give to you immediately," _said Vlad, _"I have a meeting in just a moment with some council members, but I wish to talk to you directly in my office within the hour. Would that be possible for you?"_

"Of course, Mayor Masters," Valerie replied, "I will be there soon."

"_Wonderful," _said Vlad, _"I will see you soon."_

Valerie hung up and glared at her phone.

"Oh, you sure will, Vlad. I'm sure you will."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at the Fenton Works, Danny was on his computer playing _Doomed _with Tucker and Sam. They were communicating with each other through voice group chat. Danny's avatar blasted a couple of minotaur looking enemies in an ancient underground tomb-like area.

"Nice shooting, Danny," said Tucker as his avatar approached.

"Thanks," Danny replied, "How's exploit hunt going, Sam?"

Sam's avatar approached, covered in rainbow highlighted equipment.

"It's a treasure trove of upgrades in this place," she announced, "At this rate, if we don't get all these upgrades now, they might end up patching them out."

"Well, let's keep moving," said Danny.

The three made their way further into the tomb, ending up in a demonic looking area.

"So, what do you think that was all about earlier?" Tucker asked.

"What, the duel-wielding skull knight?" Danny asked, "He didn't seem too difficult to fight. How was I supposed to know it could move that fast?"

"No, not that," Tucker clarified, "I'm talking about earlier today."

"Valerie?" Danny asked, oblivious to what Tucker was referring to.

"Danny, get over her already!" Sam snapped, "It's been months since you guys broke up!"

"Uh, guys?" Tucker began nervously, "I was actually talking about-"

"Well… since you mentioned it, Sam, I've been thinking…" said Danny.

"Uh oh, that's almost never a good thing," Sam teased.

"Maybe Valerie and I could… try again?" Danny finished.

Sam's eyes widened.

"Wait, _**WHAT**_!?" she shrieked before falling out of her chair.

Sam got back up and into her chair.

"Are… are you serious!?" she asked.

"Dude, do you even _remember _why she broke up with you?" Tucker asked.

"Sure, I remember," Danny replied, "But… maybe she just needed some time to think about it and see how her life goes. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to at least try again, right?"

Sam's face fell as she slumped in her seat and bit her lower lip.

"Well, you do make a great point, Danny," said Tucker, "But are you sure this is what you want?"

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Danny argued.

"True, but is it really _her _that your heart wants?" Tucker asked playfully.

"What's that supposed to mean, Tucker?" Danny asked.

"Forget it," Tucker sighed, "What do you think, Sam? You've been quiet this whole time."

Sam shook her head.

"Hm? What? Sure! Yeah, why not! Heh. I mean, it's not like I'm jealous or anything. I'm fine with it!" she exclaimed.

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, Sam? Are you okay?" he asked, "You sound upset about something."

Tucker facepalmed and shook his head in disbelief.

"What? Me? Upset? Nope, I'm perfectly fine," Sam replied, "Yep. One hundred percent okay."

"Uh-" Danny began before being interrupted by Tucker.

"Back to what I was trying to talk about before, I was referring to Vlad."

"Vlad?" Danny asked, "Who knows? But I do wonder what his plans were. It seemed bizarre for him to just show up like that."

"Yeah, that was weird," said Sam, who snapped out of her distress, "Usually he would be much more discreet and actually get partially through his plan before we stop him. And what would he have wanted with me?"

As Sam was talking, her bedroom window opened, and an intruder silently entered.

"Knowing that froot loop, I'd rather not know," Danny answered, "No matter what he's up to, it's always something insane."

"What about those strange blue ghost rays?" Tucker asked, "You don't think it was… you know?"

"The Hunter?" Danny asked, "Doubt it, but it's possible. We don't know much about him, and he could have more weapons. Watch you back."

"Worried about us?" Sam asked with some light teasing.

"Well, that, but you've also got a pair of devil-bats coming up behind you," Danny warned Sam.

The digital bats darted towards Sam's avatar from behind. Seconds passed and Danny and Tucker watched as Sam's avatar was slammed from behind by the bats. Danny and Tucker aimed their weapons and shot down the two bats with ease. They walked over to Sam's avatar, which was still laying on the ground.

"Sam? What happened?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, you didn't even move," said Tucker.

There was no response.

"Sam?" Danny asked, "You there?"

Still no response. Danny reached into his pocket and tried calling her cell. No answer.

"She's not answering her cellphone," Danny told Tucker.

"Try the Fenton Phone," Tucker suggested.

"I am," said Danny, "She's still not picking up."

Back in her room, Sam was laying on the ground, unconscious. One of the ghost vultures was flapping in the air with strange metal claws cover his talons.

"The boss was right. The ghost kid would never have suspected that we try and come after the girl again just an hour later."

He picked up Sam by her arms and carried her out the window.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was nighttime by the time Valerie arrived at City Hall. She landed in an alley nearby and removed her power suit. She crossed the street and entered City Hall. She made her way upstairs and entered the lobby that led to Mayor Masters' office.

"Excuse me?" she asked the aide at the front desk, "I'm Valerie Gray. Mayor Masters wanted to see me."

The aide checked the schedule on her computer.

"Ah, yes, Ms. Gray. I see that Mayor Masters has recently added you to his schedule. He's currently in a meeting right now. Please, have a seat. The meeting should be complete any minute now."

"Thank you," said Valerie as she sat down in one of the chairs.

As she settled herself in her seat, Valerie could overhear some unhappy arguing coming from Vlad's office. A moment later, three angry council members storming out of Vlad's office.

"Nice to see I'm not the only one who's not Vlad's biggest fan," Valerie muttered.

"Again, gentlemen, it was a pleasure talking to you. I look forward to our future endeavors," said Vlad as he approached the door.

He looked over and noticed Valerie sitting in the lobby.

"Ah, Ms. Gray," he said, "I see that you've made it."

Valerie got up.

"Mayor Masters."

"Please, come in," Vlad told her, stepping aside and welcoming her inside.

Valerie entered his office and looked around. Vlad's cat, Maddie, crept by her legs and hopped onto Vlad's desk.

"Apologies for asking you to meet with me at such short notice," Vlad apologized as he closed the door behind him, "Have a seat."

Valerie sat down at one of the chairs in front of the desk and Vlad sat in his seat.

"You have a new mission for me?" she asked, hiding the bitterness to the best of her ability.

"Indeed I do," Vlad replied as he opened a drawer and pulled out a file, "I'm afraid new evidence has come to light regarding Danny Phantom."

He offered Valerie the file and she took it. She opened it and found photos from surveillance footage showing Danny Phantom with Tucker and Sam in some unknown lab. In the next photo, two ecto-puses appeared behind Tucker and Sam. The following photos showed Tucker and Sam being overshadowed by the ghosts and apparently taking orders from Phantom.

"Tucker and Sam have been taken over by ghosts!?" Valerie exclaimed with false surprise.

"I'm afraid so, my dear," said Vlad, "I'm sorry that your friends have been forced into such a situation."

"What about Danny Fenton?" Valerie asked, "Is he also a victim."

"Fortunately, Daniel has been lucky to avoid such unfortunate circumstances," Vlad explained, "I am close friends with the Fentons and, partially in part to their profession, Daniel has remained safe."

"Thank goodness," Valerie sighed.

Valerie brought the file closer to read the report.

"Hmm… something seems off by this," she said quietly to herself, "I was just with them a couple of hours ago and they were just fine. Vlad's probably lying for his own reasons."

"Is something wrong, Ms. Gray?"

"Uh, no, Mayor Masters," she replied, "I was just wondering where you got these photos from."

"The Fentons came to me with everything in that file," he answered, "I was asked from them directly to help their son's friends and I would never forgive myself if I did nothing to help keep the citizens of Amity Park safe."

Valerie looked over the file one last time before looking up.

"Alright, Mayor Masters," she said, "what would you need me to do?"

Vlad smiled evilly as Maddie sat down in his lap and he began petting her.

"Your mission is simple and straightforward: Find Danny Phantom and bring him to me."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny Phantom flew through the air as fast as he could toward Sam's house. He phased through the wall and entered her room.

"Sam!?" he whispered loudly, "Sam!? Are you here!?"

No response, and her room was empty. Danny floated over to her computer and saw that _Doomed _was still running. His eyes glanced around her desk and saw that her cellphone, Fenton Phones, and Fenton Wrist Ray were still there.

"She wouldn't leave either of these behind," said Danny, "Where is she?"

He turned intangible and began searching the house. He checked the bathroom, the home theater, her parents' room; where her parents were resting peacefully; her room again, the dining room, and her room for a third time.

"Where could she be?" Danny asked, getting very worried.

He floated outside and searched Sam's greenhouse. He looked around but saw no sign of her. Sam's Venus flytrap, DeMilo**^***, snapped at Danny when he came near it.

"Jeez, how many times does this thing expect me to apologize for freezing It on accident?"

Danny left the greenhouse and began flying above the neighborhood. His cellphone began to ring.

"_Did you find Sam?" _Tucker asked the moment Danny answered.

"No, she's not home," Danny answered, "All her devices are still in her room."

"_That's not good," _said Tucker, _"What now?"_

"I'm gonna check out the park and theater," said Danny, "You check out the zoo and the Nasty Burger."

"_On it."_

"And stay in touch," said Danny, "I don't want something to happen to you too."

"_Dude, relax. We'll find your girlfriend and-"_

"TUCKER, NOW IS NOT THE TIME!" Danny shouted.

"_Alright, chill! I'll stay in touch."_

Danny hung up and flew towards the park. Once he arrived, he floated around looking for any signs of Sam. Minutes later, Tucker called, and Danny shook his head as he told Tucker his results.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Tucker searched the zoo. After running around for a few minutes, he called Danny to tell him that Sam was not there either.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

While Danny searched theater, Tucker checked out the Nasty Burger. Danny was still searching when Tucker called to tell him Sam was not there either.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny floated aimlessly above Amity Park, wondering where else he should search.

"Come on, Phantom. _**Think!**_" he told himself as he slapped his forehead, "She must be somewhere. People can't just vanish."

His cellphone rang and he answered it.

"Please tell me you've found her," Danny begged.

"_Sorry, Danny,"_ said Tucker, _"I haven't."_

"Rrrghh!" Danny groaned, "This is so frustrating!"

"_Danny, we'll find her," _said Tucker, trying to calm his best friend down, _"It's only been an hour. Maybe she went to the store or something."_

"Maybe… I dunno, Tucker, I've got a bad feeling. Where are you, anyways?"

"_I'm checking the docks."_

"That's a random place to check. Why there?"

"_I don't know for sure, but I thought I saw Vlad's chickens flying this way."_

"Technically they're vultures."

"_Whatever."_

"You want me come by and help?"

No response.

"Tucker?"

Danny heard some commotion on the other end of the call.

"TUCKER!?"

"_Danny," _he heard Tucker shout faintly, _"I need he-"_

"Tucker! Hold on, I'm coming!"

Danny blasted through the air towards the docks.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Meanwhile, the Red Huntress was flying around Amity Park as well. She hovered over to Sam's place and noticed her window was open.

"Hm…"

Valerie hovered over and looked inside.

"She's not here?"

She activated her ghost radar and scanned the area. A target was pinged on the display.

"Found you, Phantom."

The Red Huntress turned around and set off after her target.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny scanned the dockyard below him as he flew over.

"I can't believe I've lost Tucker, too," Danny hissed.

A moment later, he noticed some wooden crates that appeared to have been knocked over against a warehouse. He flew down to investigate. The moment he landed, Danny saw some things on the ground next to the displaced boxes.

"Tucker's beret. And his cellphone. And his Fenton Phone. And his PDA," Danny noted as he picked them up.

Danny noticed a picture of him carrying Sam on the cellphone.

"Wait… isn't this from earlier today?! Rrrrgghh… He is so gonna get it later," Danny growled.

***Crash***

"Huh!?" Danny exclaimed as he turned towards the warehouse.

He turned intangible and phased through the wall. Once inside, Danny looked around to find the source of the noise.

"Tucker?" he called out, "Are you here?"

Danny slowly walked around and looked around the dark warehouse that was full of crates. He stopped when he noticed one of the large crates shaking on its own. He reached out to open it, but the lid burst open and something popped out.

"Bewaaaare!"

"Oh, it's just you," Danny deadpanned.

"Yes, it is I, the Box Ghost! And you shall witness my-"

The Box Ghost didn't get a chance to complete that statement before Danny pulled out his Fenton Thermos and trapped the Box Ghost inside.

"Oh, come on!" the Box Ghost exclaimed, "At least wait until I've finished my line first!"

"Now is not a good time, Box Ghost," said Danny as he floated outside and looked around, "I have no idea where to look for Tucker and Sam now."

He sighed.

"What do I do now?"

"Hey!" the Box Ghost shouted, "Is it so wrong for me to roam around the docks and find a nice storage area to haunt!?"

"Yes," Danny replied.

"Hmph! It's always the same thing! I leave the Ghost Zone, I find a nice quiet place to wait and scare humans, and then you or that red suit wearing ghost hunter show up and use me as your punching bag!"

Danny rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be chasing after those ghost birds?" the Box Ghost asked, "They're the ones who took that friend of yours."

Danny stopped in his tracks.

"Huh?" he exclaimed, "What ghost birds?"

"Let me go, and maybe I'll tell you," the Box Ghost pouted.

Danny groaned before taking the cap off the Fenton Thermos and released the prisoner. The Box Ghost sat on the ground and looked around in confusion.

"Huh?"

"There," said Danny as the Box Ghost turned to face him, "Now tell me what happened."

'And why should I?"

Danny glared at the Box Ghost as he grabbed him the collar.

"Look, Box Ghost, my friends are missing and I have no clue where they are! Now tell me what happened!"

The Box Ghost glared back.

"Why should I trust-"

"_**NOW!**_" Danny shouted as his eyes began to glow brightly.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk!" the ghost squeaked.

Danny relaxed and released the Box Ghost.

"Okay," said the Box Ghost, "I was just roaming around the docks when I saw your friend searching for something. He seemed concerned about something. Said something about some girl not being at the docks either. I was about to sneak up on him when I was slammed aside ad into some boxes. Those poor boxes…"

"The _story_!" Danny said sternly.

"I looked up and saw those vultures with the stupid looking hats approach your friend. He noticed them and ducked away from their attempt to grab him, instead grabbing his hat. He dropped some stuff as he scrambled away and they chased him down."

Box Ghost stopped talking and just stared at Danny.

"And?" Danny asked, "What happened next!?"

"That's all I know!" the Box Ghost exclaimed, "I didn't follow them or anything."

Danny sighed.

"Fine. Just get out of my sight before I change my mind."

"I think I will," said the Box Ghost, "Oh, and… BEWARE!"

With that, the Box Ghost disappeared, leaving Danny alone.

"Great, so Vlad must have taken Tucker and Sam," he muttered, "But where could they be? Vlad couldn't have taken them back to his manor."

"Perhaps I could help."

Danny turned around and saw the Red Huntress hovering on her board behind him.

"Valerie?"

She summoned her wrist cannon and aimed it at Phantom.

"Vlad Masters would like a word with you, ghost."

Danny looked at her with shock.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Meanwhile, Vlad Masters was inside his makeshift lab, waiting.

"Unbelievable that Daniel took no precautions after that pathetic excuse of a kidnapping attempt I made," he grinned, "This plan was brilliant! Convince them that they foiled my plans before I had the chance to put them into motion and then come back shortly after when they don't expect it!"

He approached his computer and accessed some data.

"With Ms. Gray handling Daniel and the vultures bringing me his friends, I should have plenty of time to complete my experiment before she brings him to me."

Behind him, the three vulture ghosts phased through the ceiling, with two of them carrying an unconscious Tucker and Sam.

"We've brought the ghost-child's friends," said the first.

"Excellent!" Vlad exclaimed as he turned around to face them, "Put Ms. Manson on the table over there and put Mr. Foley in the cage."

The second vulture carried Sam over to an operating table while the last one carried Tucker over to an animal cage. Once they were in place, Vlad pressed a button on the control panel beneath a large monitor. Metal restraints locked Sam's wrists and ankles in place and an electronic lock trapped Tucker inside the cage. A moment later, Sam began to stir.

"Uuuhhh…" she moaned as her eyes slowly opened, "What happened?"

She tried to move but realized she couldn't.

"Huh?"

She looked over and saw the restraints on her. She struggled to free herself.

"I'm afraid that it is futile, my dear."

Sam looked over and saw Vlad approaching her from the shadows.

"Vlad," she growled.

"A pleasure as always, Ms. Manson."

"Where's Danny!?" she asked.

"Oh, don't worry about your boyfriend. He's currently busy wondering where his friends have disappeared to."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sam shouted, "Why does everyone keep saying that!?"

"Uuugghhh…"

Sam looked over and saw Tucker getting up in his cell.

"Tucker!?" she exclaimed.

"Sam?" Tucker asked, "What's going-"

He stopped when he noticed that he was locked in a cage.

"This is just wrong," Tucker deadpanned.

"Ah, so you're awake as well," said Vlad.

"Vlad," Tucker growled, "What do you want with us!?"

"Wouldn't you two little troublemakers like to know," Vlad teased as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vacutainer.

"What are your plans, froot loop?" Sam asked, "You gonna scare us to death until Danny shows up?"

"I'm afraid young Daniel has no clue where you two are. He doesn't even know about this place," Vlad explained, "Now hold still."

He grabbed Sam's elbow and pierced her skin with the needle. He pushed the vacutainer into the sheath and filled it with Sam's blood.

"Wait… is that… _blood_?" Tucker asked before fainting.**^****

"Amusing," Vlad smirked as he removed the test tube and needle from Sam's arm.

"What did you just do to me?" Sam growled.

"Nothing… yet," Vlad replied, "I simply took a sample of your blood."

"I'd rather you _didn't _take anything from me," said Sam.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Vlad replied.

Sam grimaced.

"Um… ew," she said, "I don't even want to know."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at the docks, Valerie was aiming her weapon at Danny Phantom.

"Valerie, please, this isn't a good time!" he exclaimed, "I need to find-"

"Shut up, ghost," Valerie ordered, still glaring at him, "I'm going to ask you one question. If you lie to me, I will end you. Got it?"

"But-"

Valerie began to charge her cannon. Danny sighed and nodded.

"Tucker Foley and Sam Manson," she said, "Both of them are missing. I need to know; have you been letting your minions possess their bodies this whole time to pretend as though you have saved their lives?"

"How can you even ask me something like that!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Last chance, Phantom," Valerie warned.

"No, I haven't," said Danny, "And I know that they're missing! They were taken by Vlad's vultures, the same ones we fought earlier. Vlad has them and we need to save them!"

Valerie glared at Danny as he waited for her response. With a sigh, she lowered her weapon.

"Alright, Phantom, I'll believe you. For now."

"***Phew* **Thanks."

"But if I find out you're lying and working with Masters, I will destroy you," she warned.

"I don't think you have to worry about- wait, what are you talking about?" Danny asked, "Don't you mean _Plasmius_?"

Valerie lowered her head.

"You were right the whole time," she admitted, "Vlad Masters and Vlad Plasmius are the same person. I saw him change moments after we saved your little lookalike and you took off."

"Do you know where Vlad is now?" Danny asked urgently, "We need to save Tucker and Sam!"

"Not so fast, ghost," said Valerie, "You may have been right about Vlad, but I still don't trust you. I want to know why those two are always nearby with you."

"Valerie, I… they're just good friends of mine."

"Friends? With a _ghost_? I doubt that."

"Look, help me save them and I'll tell you anything you want!" Danny exclaimed.

Valerie raised an eyebrow.

"_Anything_?" she asked.

"Yes," Danny replied, "Ghost portal locations, map of the Ghost Zone, I'll even answer any questions you have, but we have to find them now!"

"Alright, Phantom, you've got a deal. But if we're going to save Tucker and Sam, we'll do things my way."

"Fine," said Danny, "So, where is Vlad?"

Valerie relinquished her helmet and pulled out her cellphone.

"Give me a minute," she told him as she called someone.

"_Hello?"_

"Mayor Masters, I've succeeded in capturing Phantom."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"_You have!?" _Vlad exclaimed in shock, _"__***Ahem* **__I mean, that is wonderful news!"_

"Where should I bring him?" Valerie asked.

"_I'm sending you my location right now. Please make haste," _said Vlad.

"No problem, Mayor Masters," Valerie smirked before hanging up and summoning her helmet back.

A moment later, her helmet pinged the location sent to her.

"Follow me," she told Danny before flying off.

Danny leapt into the air. His legs morphed into a tail and he caught up beside her.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked.

Valerie looked over and smirked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Vlad's lab, Vlad was pleased about the news he received.

"Well, Ms. Manson," he announced, "it would seem that you'll see Daniel sooner than we thought. Oh, this will be quite a show."

Sam and Tucker glanced at each other, worried about what Vlad was planning.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, Danny and Valerie arrived at an abandoned construction site.

"Is this the place?" Danny asked.

Valerie checked her radar.

"Yup," she replied, "And Plasmius is here as well."

"Well, he's in for a surprise for sure," Danny smirked.

Valerie nodded.

"My radar suggests that he's located in the basement area of the construction site. Ready?" she asked.

"Let's do this."

Back inside the base, Vlad had his back turned from Sam and Tucker. The ghost vultures were keeping an eye on the prisoners. A noise from the entrance caught their attention.

"You three, get out of sight," Vlad ordered as he put tape on Sam's mouth and covered her with a sheet, "Stay quiet."

The three vultures turned invisible and got into position around the lab. A moment later, the Red Huntress entered carrying the unconscious body of Danny Phantom.

"Ms. Gray, you continue to impress me!" Vlad exclaimed when he saw her, "Defeating Danny Phantom and bringing him to me is an incredible accomplishment."

"Well, it was no easy feat," said Valerie, "Are you aware that Tucker and Sam have gone missing?"

"My word," Vlad exclaimed with false concern, "Mr. Foley and Ms. Manson have gone missing?"

"Well, you should know," said Valerie, "Because we know it was you who took them… _Plasmius_."

"Plasmius?" Vlad asked, "What on earth are you talking about!?"

"I'm done being your puppet, Plasmius," Valerie said defiantly, "And don't try and deceive me. I know your secret."

"Hmm… so you know my secret," said Vlad, "Shame. I had such high hopes for you."

He snapped his fingers.

"Get her."

The ghost vultures appeared from their spots and rocketed towards the Red Huntress. Still in her arms, Danny opened one eye and tracked the ghosts. Once they were close enough, Danny turned himself and Valerie intangible and the vultures crashed into each other. The avian ghosts slumped to the ground. Danny floated in the air and turned himself and Valerie tangible again.

"What!?" Vlad exclaimed, "You said you defeated Phantom."

"I lied," Valerie shrugged.

Vlad glared at the two.

"It's over Vlad," said Danny, "Now tell me where Sam and Tucker are."

A black ring surrounded Vlad and he transformed into Vlad Plasmius.

"And why should I do that?" he sneered.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that," Valerie muttered.

"Oh? Then watch _this_," Vlad smirked.

Instantly, three copies of Vlad appeared around Danny and Valerie.

"Is this supposed to impress me?" Valerie asked, "Phantom, you get find Tucker and Sam, I'll deal with Plasmius."

"Alright," Danny replied, "Be careful, Valerie."

Valerie mentally summoned her three cubic cannons and fired them at the clones. They each hit their target, causing the clones to disappear.

"Let's dance, Vlad," said Valerie before she summoned her board and dashed towards the villain.

Danny looked around the room for a moment and heard muffled screams coming from under a sheet. He flew over and pulled it off.

"Sam!?"

"Mmmff!"

Danny grabbed the tape and turned it intangible to remove it from Sam's mouth.

"Took you long enough," Sam smirked.

"Thank Valerie; I wouldn't have found you without her help," Danny smiled as he blasted Sam's restraints with his ghost rays, "Are you alright? Did Vlad do anything to you!?"

Sam hopped off table and rubbed her wrists.

"I'm fine, Danny," Sam replied, "Vlad just took a sample of my blood for some reason, but he didn't do anything to me or Tucker."

"Tucker?" Danny exclaimed, "Where is he?

"He's in the cage back there," she answered, nodding off in the cage's direction.

"A _cage_?" Danny asked, "That's just… wrong."

"I'll help Tucker, you go deal with Vlad."

Danny nodded and flew over the Vlad and Valerie. Sam turned around an ran over to the cage.

"Tucker?" she asked once she reached him.

He was still unconscious on the ground. Sam tried pulling open the cage, but it wouldn't budge. That's when she noticed the lock.

"Oh, great," she said half-heartedly, "Just what we need right now."

Nearby, Valerie was firing her wrist cannon at Vlad, who simply flew aside to avoid it. He then raised his hands and fired two ghost rays at Valerie. She brought her board up and activated her ghost shield, deflecting the attack away.

"All this time, you've been using me for your own gains, haven't you!?" the Red Huntress growled.

"Yes, I have," Vlad replied, "And you've made it so easy to do so."

"Why!?" Valerie demanded.

"Oh, I don't know? Get the love of my life back, make Jack Fenton pay for what he's done to me," he answered, listing the reasons out with his fingers, "and destroy Danny Phantom once and for all!"

Valerie glared at her former employer.

"Man, you are one seriously messed up froot loop," she said.

"And it's about time you realized it too!" Danny exclaimed as he darted towards Vlad and punched him in the face.

***POW***

Vlad was sent flying and slammed into the wall. He got back up and glared at Danny.

"Mind if I tag in?" Danny asked.

"As long as I get my fair share," Valerie smirked.

The two nodded and flew towards Vlad.

***BAM***

Danny kicked Vlad's face.

***POW***

Valerie rammed her board into Vlad's back.

***WAM***

Danny uppercut Vlad.

***ZAP***

Valerie shocked Vlad with her board's ghost stinger.

"I think I've had just enough of this insolence," said Vlad as he wiped his chin.

Danny came in for another attack, with Valerie close behind him. Danny swung his fist, but Vlad grabbed it and swung Phantom around. Using Danny's body as a weapon, Vlad batted Valerie away. Sam was busy trying to think of a way to break the lock when Tucker woke up.

"Uh, where am I?" he asked before shaking his head, "Sam!? How did you get free?"

"Danny and Valerie showed up while you were out," she quickly explained, "I'm trying to get you out of this cage, but the lock is electronic."

"Leave it to me," said Tucker as he reached into his pocket, "I'll just grab my PDA and… Huh!?"

Tucker's hands scrambled into his hands, desperately searching for his PDA.

"Monica!? Where are you!?" he exclaimed.

"And it just gets worse," Sam said half-heartedly.

***CRASH***

Tucker and Sam looked over and saw that Valerie had slammed into another cage next to them. Vlad was still spinning Danny around before he heaved the hero into the air. Danny impacted ceiling with a loud thud and Vlad fired a powerful ghost ray at him. The force of the attack sent Danny through the ceiling and blasted him away from the construction site.

"Danny!" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

Valerie got back onto her board and dashed toward Vlad, but she was suddenly blocked by the cage door that instantly closed and electrified. Vlad smirked as he put his remote away and flew towards Sam. Valerie tried to break out of the metal prison, but her arsenal did next to nothing.

"I can't get out!" she exclaimed.

"And I can't get Tucker out either!" Sam exclaimed.

"And no one here will leave," said Vlad.

The three teens looked over and gasped when they saw Vlad standing over Sam.

"You'll be coming with me," Vlad smirked as he grabbed Sam's wrist and carried her over to his lab table.

After Danny was blasted away from the construction site, he ended up landing in a pile of stacked bags of cement mix. Danny pulled himself up and rubbed his head.

"And I thought cement was only hard _after _it was mixed and hardened," he groaned as he got to his feet.

"DANNY!"

Phantom looked over at the hole he erupted from.

"Sam!?" he exclaimed before flying towards it, "Don't worry! I'm coming!"

Danny reentered the lab through the hole and looked around. He noticed that Tucker was still in his cage and Valerie was now in one too. He flew over to them.

"Valerie!? What happened!? Where's Sam!?" he asked.

Tucker and Valerie pointed behind him.

"Looking for someone, little badger?" Vlad asked.

Danny turned and saw the Vlad had Sam held in a chokehold and had a syringe filled with a strange purple substance pressed against her neck. Phantom was terrified.

"Vlad… what are you doing?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, just curious to see what this little concoction I've developed will do when I inject it into your friend's bloodstream," Vlad answered as he slightly added pressure onto the syringe, making Sam gasp.

"Vlad, wait, don't!" Danny exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm not doing anything, Daniel," Vlad smirked, "And if you don't want your friend to become my next experiment, I suggest you do what I tell you."

"Don't listen to him, Danny!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Silence!" Vlad boomed, "Now, Phantom, you will do exactly what I tell you, or Ms. Manson here will become my latest experiment. Go into the cage located next to Ms. Gray's over there and close the door behind you."

Danny glared at Vlad suspiciously.

"You're stalling," Vlad said in a singsong voice as he added a little more pressure on the syringe.

Danny didn't take his eyes off Sam as he slowly backed away.

"Danny, wait!" Sam cried out, "Don't go inside!"

Vlad tightened his grip around Sam's neck.

"You will remain silent as well!" Vlad shouted.

"Sam, stop!" Danny exclaimed, "Just… let me do this. I've got this."

Sam shook her head as Danny backed into the cell, closing it in front of him. Vlad grinned as the cage automatically locked and began glowing a faint green.

"Hmm, you know, it really isn't fair that only _my _secret is revealed to Ms. Gray," said Vlad, "I wonder how she will react when she discovers who Danny Phantom _really is_!"

A second later, the cage Danny was in began to grow brighter and electricity began to flow through it. Danny looked down and realized he was standing on a metal grate, but it was too late.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed as the electricity shocked his body.

Sam, Tucker, and Valerie watched in horror as Danny's body convulsed in the cage. Within seconds, a white ring appeared around Phantom and slowly split into two, traveling in opposite directions. He fell to his hands and knees as the current stopped. Valerie watched as Danny gasped and coughed for a moment before turning to face her.

"Danny!?"

Valerie reeled back in her cell until her back slammed against the metal bars.

"No… no-no-no, no!" she shouted, "This is some kind of trick! This… this can't be true!"

Danny tried to get back up, but he was in too much pain.

"Oh, but it is, my dear," said Vlad, "Go on, Daniel. Tell her."

Danny glared at Plasmius as he slowly got back up to his feet.

"Valerie…" he said before turning his head to look her in the eyes, "It's true."

Valerie began to hyperventilate as she tried to process this revelation.

"I'm so sorry I never told you," said Danny, "I was worried that-"

"It makes sense," Valerie said after calming down a little, "I mean, it should have been obvious! Why you're never around when Phantom shows up. Or why Tucker and Sam are always around Phantom."

Valerie gasped as she looked back and forth between Tucker and Sam.

"You guys knew? All along!?" she exclaimed.

They nodded and Valerie turned back to Danny.

"I… I don't even… how…?"

"It's a long story," Danny admitted.

Valerie's eyes widened.

"Wait… Danny Fenton? Danny _Phantom_!?"

She slapped herself on the forehead.

"Of course! How could I have missed that!?" she exclaimed, "Wait… how could _anyone _have missed that?"

"Well, it's worked well for over a year now," Danny joked, trying to lighten the mood, "No one else has figured it out… yet. Which is honestly shocking, even to me."

"Ahem!" Vlad exclaimed, getting everyone's attention once more, "If this emotional revelation is over now, I'd like to begin my experiments. I am a very busy man after all."

Danny, Tucker, and Valerie glared at him.

"What kind of experiments, froot loop!?" Tucker asked.

"Why, I am delighted to tell you all!" said Vlad, "You see, during one of my recent trips in the Ghost Zone, I stumbled across an ancient tome. Where I found it is none of your concern. Within the tome were many incredible experiments that were outlined; experiments that, if done properly, would greatly enhance the user's powers to extraordinary levels! All I need to complete them is a human test subject."

"Well, you have me now!" Danny shouted, "Now let my friends go, Vlad!"

"Fool!" Vlad responded, "Did you really think that letting yourself be imprisoned would save her?"

"No," Danny smirked as a white ring surrounded him and he went back into his ghost form, "But this cage sure won't hold me!"

Danny dashed towards the metal bars, turning intangible midair. But the second he touched the bars, a green energy shield appeared and repelled Danny back within the cage.

"What the-!?" Danny exclaimed.

"The cage? No," said Vlad, "But my improved ghost shield? _Yes_."

Danny walked over to the edge of the cage and knocked the bars a couple of times, sending a painful shock into his hand.

"What kind of shield is this!?" he asked as he tried to blast it with a ghost ray.

The attack deflected down to the ground.

"Let's just say a certain someone has provided me with valuable information to contain you," Vlad smiled evilly.

Danny realized that there was no way for him to escape. With no other choice, he played the only card he could.

"Alright, Plasmius," he growled, "You've got me. Now let them go!"

"But why would I do that?" Vlad asked.

"But-"

"Daniel," Vlad explained, "when I said I wouldn't have your friend become my next experiment, I never specified _who_, let alone allow them to leave."

Danny's eyes widened as he realized that he had been duped and Vlad had no intentions of letting them leave.

"Vlad, please!" Danny begged, "Don't hurt her!"

Vlad didn't say anything. He just slowly added more pressure on the syringe as it began to slowly pierce Sam's skin. Tears began falling down her cheeks.

"DANNY!" she cried out.

***BANG***

A gunshot echoed through the lab and small flash of green rocketed through the air. In an instant, the syringe in Vlad's hands shattered in dozens of pieces.

"What!?" Vlad exclaimed.

***BANG***

Another shot was fired, and another green object flashed through the air. The bullet hit the ghost shield around Danny's cage and the shield began to electrify with energy.

"Oh, no!" Vlad shouted, "The ghost shield is overloading!"

Seconds later, the shield began glowing fiercely with a neon green color before collapsing.

"No!" Vlad shouted.

Danny turned intangible and walked out of the cage. When he turned tangible again, his eyes were glowing brighter than ever before. Vlad was too busy looking around to notice.

"Where in the world did those gunshots come from!?" he growled.

By the time he noticed Danny, the hero was already rocketing towards him. Vlad gasped as Danny's augmented fist**^*** **swung out and smashed him in the face. The force of the blow caused Vlad to release Sam and fly into the far wall. As Sam got back up onto her feet, she saw Danny race over to where Plasmius had impacted the wall. Before he had the chance to recover, Vlad was punched in the gut by Danny.

"Uuurrghhh…" Vlad moaned as he fell to his knees.

"You've gone too far, Vlad," Danny said sternly as Vlad looked up, "You've attacked my father…"

***POW***

Danny punched him in the face again.

"You've taken advantage of Valerie…"

***WAM***

Danny spin kicked Vlad aside, into his control panel.

"Danny…" Sam called out.

Phantom didn't hear her as he stormed over to Vlad with clenched fists.

"You've infected my friends with your ecto-acne…"

He raised his hands and fired a powerful ghost ray at Vlad. The attack blasted the villain across the room; his back slammed against the side of the operating table.

"Danny, that's enough!" Sam said loudly.

But Danny still didn't hear her as he approached Vlad.

"Dude, calm down!" Tucker shouted.

"Danny!" Valerie shouted, "You've done enough!"

"You've unleashed Pariah Dark for your own selfish reasons," Danny stated as he grabbed Vlad by his collar, "Attempted to clone me numerous times. Put Amity Park in danger when you thought you controlled Vortex. Tried to kill Danielle, twice! And now…"

Danny pulled back his right hand and readied a ghost ray. Sam, Tucker, and Valerie gasped.

"… you've tried to kill my best friend," Danny said darkly.

Vlad's eyes widened as Danny prepared to deliver to final blow. But before he could, Sam grabbed his arm.

"Danny, no!" she shouted.

"Huh?" he exclaimed as he turned to face her.

"Danny," she said calmly, "don't do it."

He just stared into her eyes.

"Don't stoop to his level."

Danny was breathing heavily, still threatening Vlad. His hand was shaking in anger but in a moment, he calmed down and lowered his hand; the energy glow vanished as well. Everyone sighed in relief. That was when Danny faced Vlad again and fired a ghost ray. Vlad was terrified as his eyes shifted next to him where the table was now charred, inches from his head.

"Consider this your only warning, Plasmius," Danny warned him, "If you ever… _**EVER**_… do something like that to anyone again, I will not miss next time."

"Oh, Daniel!" Vlad exclaimed in joy, "You do have it in your heart to show someone as evil as me mercy! I've always-"

***POW***

A swift punch in the face knocked Vlad out. As Vlad reverted back to his human form, Danny released him and let his body fall to the ground. Sam put a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he nodded, turning back to her, "I'm fine. I should be asking you that."

"I'm okay… I think," she replied, "Is there a scratch on my neck?"

Danny checked.

"Nope, perfectly flawless," he announced, making Sam blush.

"Uh, guys?" Tucker called out from his cell, "Can someone get us out of here?"

Danny and Sam looked over and realized that they forgot about Tucker and Valerie. They ran over to the cages. Danny grabbed Tucker and Valerie by their wrists and turned them intangible. They phased through the bars and turned tangible again.

"So, everyone's okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," said Tucker.

"… I'm okay," Valerie answered, rubbing her arm.

Guilt instantly hit Danny when he saw Valerie.

"Valerie… I'm so sorry for not telling you," he said, "I know you have a lot of questions, and I will-"

Valerie held up her hand and Danny stopped talking.

"We'll talk later," she said, "But for now, I think-"

"Caw! Caw!"

"Huh?" everyone exclaimed.

"Where did that come from?" Sam asked, looking around for whatever made that noise.

"Guys, look!" Tucker shouted, pointing up through the hole in the ceiling.

Everyone looked and saw a ghost raven flying around the hole. It then flew over to a strange object that was on a steel beam of the construction site.

"Wait," said Sam, "Isn't that…?"

Kneeling on one knee on the steel beam was the Hunter, leaning against his sniper rifle with one arm, watching them. The raven landed on his shoulder as he stood up. He stared at the group for a moment before turning away.

"See you soon…" he said hoarsely over his shoulder, "… _Fenton_."

Danny's eyes widened as the Hunter leapt off the steel beam and ran off into the night. Danny rocketed out of the lab to follow the Hunter. He floated in the air and looked around, but couldn't find him anywhere. Taking one last glance around, Danny flew back into the lab.

"He got away," said Danny.

"Who was that?" Valerie asked.

"Some radical ghost hunter," Danny answered, "***Sigh* **Let's get out of here."

"What about Vlad?" Tucker asked.

The gang looked over to where Vlad was left, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Gone as well," Valerie growled.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Valerie walked along the sidewalk on their way home.

"Thanks for the rescue, Danny," said Sam.

"You too, Valerie," said Tucker.

"No worries," said Valerie, "I always keep my friends safe."

Tucker and Sam glanced at each other.

"So, you're not upset with us?" Sam asked.

Valerie shook her head.

"You were right all along, Danny," she said sadly, "Sorry for not believing you."

Danny didn't reply, looking sad and distracted as they walked.

"Danny?" Valerie asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah… no problem," Danny replied.

Valerie sighed.

"Tucker? Sam? Could you give me and Danny a moment alone to talk?"

They nodded and kept walking while Danny and Valerie stayed behind.

"Danny, is something wrong?" Valerie asked.

Danny leaned against the building and sighed.

"Valerie, would you have still been with me if I told you sooner?" he asked.

Valerie thought about it for a moment.

"Honestly, I don't know, Danny," she answered, "On one hand, I would have been glad that you could trust me."

Danny smiled.

"But on the other hand, you and I dated for a few days and you never told me, which, even now, upsets me a little," she continued, making Danny's smile disappear, "All of you have lied to me. You, Tucker, Sam, your sister, Vlad. Does anyone else know?"

"Aside from every ghost in the Ghost Zone, Freakshow, and Danielle… and the Hunter, no one else knows. Not even my parents."

"I see," Valerie nodded, "Danny, I know things won't be the same for us anymore, but I think it would be best if we distance ourselves from each other for a while."

"What?" Danny exclaimed, "But… I mean… we could always work together now, or even have you join our team…"

Valerie shook her head.

"That's a nice offer, but I need some time to process all this. I mean… this whole time, I've been fighting my own ex-boyfriend! How do you think I feel!?" Valerie asked.

"How do you think _I _feel!?" Danny exclaimed, making her glare at him, "Sorry, it's just that… well… after seeing you again earlier today, I thought… maybe… we could try again?"

Valerie gave Danny a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's going to happen," she said.

Danny's face fell.

"Danny, I still like you a lot as well," she explained, "And I would like to try again. But you love someone else more."

"What?"

"You love Sam."

Danny opened his mouth the argue, but Valerie shushed him by pressing a finger against his lips.

"Stop fooling yourself, Fenton," she smirked, "It's been obvious for a while."

"Was it the kiss you saw over a year ago?" Danny asked when Valerie removed her finger, "That was just a fake-out make-out!"**^******

Valerie placed a hand on Danny's cheek.

"Danny…"

"Okay," he sighed, "But we'll still be friends?"

"Of course," said Valerie, "Promise me that you'll tell her when you're ready."

Nearby, Tucker and Sam peaked around the corner and eavesdropped.

"I'll think about it," said Danny.

Valerie smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I hope you do," she told him as she summoned her suit back on, "Good luck, Phantom."

"Valerie, wait!" Danny exclaimed as she turned to leave.

"Huh?"

Danny reached into his pocket and handed Valerie something.

"It's a Fenton Phone," he explained, "We use them while hunting ghosts, and they work in the Ghost Zone. Give us a call if you ever need help."

"Thanks," said Valerie, "I'll keep it close by."

She and Danny had one last moment.

"Thanks, Danny," she said, "Goodbye… for now."

As Valerie flew off into the night, Tucker and Sam approached Danny as he watched Valerie disappear.

"I'm sorry, Danny," said Sam as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know you really wanted to get back together with her."

"Yeah," he sighed, "Well, she's not safe anymore. Vlad knows that his secret is known to her. I just hope we can keep her and her dad safe, if she needs it."

"We will," said Tucker, "By the way, wasn't that _my _Fenton Phone you gave her?"

"Yeah, it was," Danny said as he reached in his pocket and handed Tucker his beret and PDA back.

"Monica!" he exclaimed and began hugging the PDA, "You've come back to me!"

"Oh, that reminds me," said Danny, "Sam, what do you make of this?"

Danny pulled out Tucker's cellphone and showed her the picture. She glared at Tucker as he looked at Danny with a raised eyebrow. Danny smirked and handed the cellphone to him.

"Uh… Sam, wait, I can explain…"

"Foley, if you don't remove all copies of that picture from existence, I will _**STRANGLE YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!**_"

Tucker shrieked and took off running, with Sam chasing him down. Danny chuckled.

"Well, I better head home too," he said as he went ghost.

Phantom took to the skies and flew to the Fenton Works.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at City Hall, Vlad Masters was pacing back and forth in anger.

"So, the girl lives," said a dark voice from the shadows.

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of that. Thank you so much for pointing out the obvious!" Vlad snapped.

"And your little helper knows your secret."

"Yes, and cows go 'moo'," Vlad said sarcastically, "Do you have anything useful to say!?"

"You had one simple task to do," said the dark voice, "How could you have possibly messed that up?"

"Mind your tone!" Vlad shouted, "Remember, you work for _me_! Remember!?"

The visitor let out a dark maniac laugh.

"You dare laugh at me!?" Vlad asked.

"I do dare," the dark voice remarked as an individual appeared from the shadows, "Did you really think that _I _would work for anyone? For _you_?"

"Who is this?" Vlad asked, "This is unacceptable! You will obey-"

"Magnus," said the voice in the shadows, "you know what to do."

Vlad glared at the dark magician.

"Magnus…? Wait a minute, I recognize that name," Vlad growled, "You're the- Rrggghh..."

Vlad gripped his head in pain for a few moments.

"Alright, alright!" Vlad exclaimed, "We will be _partners_."

"… I can work with that," said the dark voice, "Magnus, you can stop."

"Of course, master," said Magnus and relinquished the spell off Vlad.

Vlad gasped for air as the pain vanished.

"Now, then," said the voice, "Any updates on the Hunter? I'm aware that he's the one responsible for the failure of your plan."

"Unfortunately," Vlad reported, "that ghost hunting midget slipped through my surveillances. But don't worry; once he's caught on camera again, he won't escape a second time."

"I'm trusting you on this, Plasmius," said the voice, "Just out of curiosity, what do you plan to do with that blood sample?"

"Oh, nothing," Vlad smiled, pulling the vial out," Just a little side project I've been planning for some time now. But that will be for another day."

"Very well," said the voice, "Magnus and I will take our leave."

With that, the visitor and Magnus vanished from the room, leaving Vlad to stare into the vial of blood. They only teleported to the roof for a brief talk.

"Excellent work, Magnus."

"Of course, sir."

"We should have don't this on our own, together. Would have saved us time."

"Not that time is worth saving, my master."

"Hm… I suppose not. Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything to get in our way."

"And the Hunter?"

"Leave him to me. Vlad's usefulness is running thin. It's time I've finally took out that pestilent Hunter once and for all…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny phased into his room and dropped onto his bed, reverting back to human in the process. He put his hands behind his head and felt something.

"Huh?"

He sat up and noticed a note was left on his pillow.

"'Danny, don't worry about Valerie or her father'," he read aloud.

_Back at Valerie's apartment, she and her father were sleeping in their rooms. The three ghost vultures show up and sneak behind Damon._

"Vlad won't harm them."

_Just as the vultures were about to grab Damon, a pair of black gloves grab them from behind and drag them away._

"Please, trust me. -LS'."

_Damon woke up and looked around for a moment before going back to sleep._

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"LS?" he asked, "Is this from the Hunter. ***Sigh* **Of course he knows where I live. But why didn't he attack me?"

He shook his head and put the note in a drawer before laying back down.

"I get the feeling something big is coming," he groaned, "And it's not going to be good.

Just outside the Fenton Works, a ghostly green bladed scythe is seen, poking out of some black mist, the wielder looking at Danny's window with crimson red eyes.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Both are flashbacks to scenes from the episode "Shades of Gray".**

**** Flashback to scene from the episode "Flirting with Disaster".**

***** Flashback to scene from the episode "D-Stabilized".**

****** The hand cannon is the weapon that appears on top of Valerie's hand.**

**^ The Ghost Stinger is the ability to shock an opponent with ecto-energy released in the form of electricity and it is a sub-power of electrokinesis (DP Wiki). It first appeared in the episode "Public Enemies".**

**^* DeMilo the Venus Flytrap is the same plant Danny accidentally froze in the beginning of the episode "Urban Jungle". I couldn't just kill the thing off, I don't think Danny would have survived Sam's wrath. On an entirely different note, how in the flying %$ did Nickelodeon screw up the episode order by airing "Urban Jungle" BEFORE "Infinite Realms"? **

**^** Tucker is terrified of anything hospital related, as shown in the episode "Doctor's Disorders". He also has a fear of snakes, as shown in "Boxed Up Fury", for (possible) future reference.**

**^*** Power Augmentation is the ability to enhance the powers of oneself (DP Wiki). An example is shown in the episode "One of a Kind" where Danny breaks out of Skulker's net.**

**^*** Fake-out make-out from "Shades of Gray". But we all know the truth, don't we? *Raises eyebrows a couple of times***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this episode. This one was fun to write. A bit longer than I wanted, but within the limit I wanted. And, yeah, I know, I'm evil for not hooking Danny and Sam up… yet. *Wink* Just a heads up, the next two episodes will blow you away. So get ready to hold onto your butts, because the fun is about to begin!**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	5. Episode 56: Cloak and Dagger

**Welcome back, phans!**

**Yeah, I'm shocked I managed to write this one so quickly as well.**

**First of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone reading this story and sending me reviews.**

**Second, mikaela2015, I hate you. I hate how well you make those Danny Phantom style stories. I hate the fact that you actually wasted time reading this garbage. And I hate the fact that I love your Oliver and Company (DP Style) story and now I can't get "Why Should I Worry?" out of my head! Obviously, I'm messing with you, please don't kill me. Also, I knew your name looked familiar, I just didn't realize it until just after Episode 54 was released. Because I'm stupid.**

**Third, User724… I cannot confirm nor deny this claim.**

**Everyone reads comment: But it's possible, right?**

***Silence***

**Everyone: PhantomHedgehog…!**

**I'm not sayin' a thing. You'll just have to wait.**

**Everyone: So it's true!**

**Yes, my *CENSOR* is much bigger than yours… wait, why was that censored? I said 'heart'.**

**Finally… Enjoy the new episode. Better hold onto your butts!**

**Ver. 1.0.1 (1/3/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Grammatical errors fixed.**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom. But sometimes… sometimes I have dreams that I do, and Butch Hartman is my partner. Then I wake up and realize that I have more writing to do. And that the fall semester is slowly creeping up. And that I'm craving for chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzels. If you shop at Trader Joe's, you know what I'm talking about. Okay, let's start the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was a clear evening in Amity Park. Danny Phantom was flying around the neighborhood, patrolling for any trouble. He was wearing his Fenton Phone and talking with Jazz.

"_How's it looking, little brother?" _she asked.

"Nothing over here," he replied, "Tucker? Sam? How are you guys holding up?"

"_AAAHHHH!" _they screamed.

"Um, do you guys want some help?" Danny asked.

"_No!" _Tucker exclaimed, _"It's just Cujo! We'll get his ball back from the garbage truck in no time!"_

"_Heel, boy! __**HEEL**__!" _Sam shouted, _"Ugh, and people wonder why I'm a cat person…"_

"Alright, I'm heading to you guys, right now," Danny stated as he began flying off.

"_Danny, really, we've got this!" _Sam exclaimed, _"If only this idiot driver would just STOP FLOORING IT AND LET US __**GET THE BALL**__!"_

Danny sighed.

"_Should we help them?" _Jazz asked.

"Nah, they can handle it," said Danny, "Besides, they'll just get mad at me for not letting them pull their own weight or something."

"_It's nice to see how much more open you've been with them, Danny. It shows how much more trust is being built among the three of you," _said Jazz as Danny continued his patrol, _"Any sign of the Hunter?"_

"Thankfully, no," Danny answered, "It's been days since we've last seen him. But right now-"

Danny gasped as his ghost sense went off.

"_Danny?" _Jazz asked with concern as he looked around for whatever ghost was nearby, _"Is something wrong?"_

***WUMP***

Something hit Danny from above and sent him flying towards the ground. He landed in a dumpster that was directly below him.

"Uugghhh…" he moaned as he pulled himself out of the garbage.

"_Danny?"_ Jazz asked again.

"Hello, whelp."

Danny looked up and glared at the 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter'.

"Skulker," he growled.

The hunter landed before Danny and retracted his jetpack. He did not look pleased with Danny.

"Jazz, I'm going to be busy for the next five minutes," Danny said into the Fenton Phone, "What do you want now, Skulker? Another chance to steal my pelt?"

Skulker activated his wrist cannon and aimed it at Danny.

"Not yet, whelp," he growled, "First you are going to tell me what you have done with all the ghosts you have kidnapped from the Ghost Zone. Then, you will release those ghosts, starting with my girlfriend! And finally, I will beat you to a pulp until your _pelt falls off_!"

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about, Skulker!?" he exclaimed, "What do you mean ghosts have been kidnapped!? Also… who's your girlfriend?"

Skulker blinked a couple of times.

"Didn't we go over this at some point recently?" he asked, "It's Ember."

"Wait… you mean Ember _McLain_!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Yes," said Skulker.

Danny tried to hold back his laughter but failed miserably.

"Oh, man, you really had me there, Skulker!" he said as he wiped away a tear.

He stopped laughing when he saw that Skulker was glaring at him.

"Seriously?" Danny asked, "She does realize she's just dating a walking booger, right?"

Skulker growled and fired his weapon at Danny. The blast splattered him against the wall above the dumpster and he fell in again.

"Alright," Danny muttered as he started climbing out, "_now _I'm mad."

Skulker suddenly grabbed Danny by the collar and brought him close to his face.

"Last warning," he said, "Tell me where everyone is, or I will make your life more miserable than you can possibly imagine."

"Ahem!"

Skulker turned around and saw Jazz Fenton aiming the Fenton Ghost Peeler*** **at him. With the press of a button, Jazz activated the weapon and was covered in the anti-ghost body armor.

"I believe you are looking for the wrong person, ghost," she told him as she fired the weapon.

Danny quickly turned intangible and escaped Skulker's grip as the beam hit the hunter.

"No!" Skulker shouted as his armor began to come apart, piece by piece.

He tried to fly off, but Danny fired a ghost ray from above to keep him on the ground.

"That was for earlier!" Danny shouted.

After a moment, Jazz deactivated the Peeler and relinquished the armor. She and Danny approached the small blob of ectoplasm that was laying on the ground.

"Go ahead, whelp," he growled, "Take me to the others."

Danny crouched down and glared at Skulker.

"Skulker, I swear, I don't know what you are talking about! Now tell me what's going on!"

"Well, if you must know, many inhabitants of the Ghost Zone have gone missing. Ember, Johnny 13, Kitty, Desiree, Youngblood, Spectra, even the Box Ghost, just to name a few," Skulker explained, "It was rather suspicious for so many ghosts to just vanish at once, so I began searching for them. Earlier tonight, I witnessed as Poindexter and the Lunch Lady Ghost were captured by someone using a Fenton Thermos. The _very same _Thermos that you always use to capture us!"

Danny and Jazz glanced at each other.

"Skulker, I telling you, I didn't do it!" Danny exclaimed as he pulled out his Fenton Thermos, "Look, I'll prove it."

Danny aimed the Fenton Thermos away from everyone and hit the release button. The Thermos starting whirring before shutting down, indicating that it was empty. Skulker's eyes widened.

"See?" Danny asked, "I haven't even seen one ghost tonight at all, besides you. And Tucker and Sam are busy with Cujo."

"Then, who-?"

Before Skulker could finish asking his question, a grapple beam from a Fenton Thermos above them grabbed Skulker and pulled him inside. Danny and Jazz looked up and saw someone cap the Thermos and then run off. Danny flew up and tried to follow, but the mysterious person disappeared.

***Caw* *Caw***

Danny looked up and saw a ghost raven flying overhead. It looked at him for a moment before flying off.

***CRASH***

Danny looked over and saw Cujo playing with his red ball next to Jazz. Tucker and Sam walked up to her, out of breath.

"See?" Tucker asked Sam, "I told you we didn't need Danny's help."

Sam glared at him.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Cloak and Dagger (Episode 56)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Later that evening, Phantom was flying around the Ghost Zone to see if Skulker's claims were true.

"Ghosts kidnapped from the Ghost Zone?" he asked himself, "How? And why?"

He flew over to one of the many floating doors that led to a ghost's home and opened the door.

"Hello?" Danny called out as he poked his head inside, "Anyone home?"

No reply. He closed the door and tried another one.

"Anyone here?" he asked, "Nothing."

Danny looked around the room and noticed all the hi-tech equipment and weapons.

"Must be Technus' Lair," he noted, "At least I didn't catch him in the middle of his bath this time."******

He left the room and flew off.

"No sign of Technus," he muttered.

He looked over and saw Klemper's realm, but no Klemper.

"Or Klemper," Danny added.

A few moments later he landed in the snowy wasteland of the Realm of the Far Frozen.

"Hello~!?" Danny called out, "Frostbite!?"

He started walking around to see if he could find any sign of the yeti-ghost or his people. He looked around the arena and nearby caves but found no one. Sighing, Danny flew off and headed home. A couple of minutes later, he exited through the Fenton Ghost Portal and closed it behind him. After checking to see if the coast was clear, a white ring appeared around his waist and he reverted to his human form.

"How did someone get their hands on a Fenton Thermos?" he asked himself.

His eyes widened and he rushed over to where all the ghost hunting equipment was stored. On one of the shelves were a few Fenton Thermoses, but there was a large gap between two of them that was big enough for another Thermos to be placed.

"This is not good," Danny moaned.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were walking around the park, discussing about the events that happened last night.

"Aaaahhh," Sam sighed, stretching out her arms, "Now _this _is much better than chasing Cujo all around town."

"You can say that again," said Tucker, "Garbage, dog drool, _invisible dog poop_."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I fell into a dumpster twice," Danny told him.

"Yeah, that does make me feel better," said Tucker, "A little."

Jazz turned to her brother.

"Danny, what do you think that ghost was talking about?" she asked him, "Do you think someone is actually kidnapping ghosts?"

"Not _someone_," Danny replied, "I'm pretty certain I know who's behind it."

Tucker and Sam looked at Danny with surprised looks.

"Wait," said Sam, "So ghosts _are _missing in the Ghost Zone?"

"Yep," Danny nodded, "I took a look around there when I got back home. And from what I've heard and seen, I'm betting the Hunter is behind it."

"That's a great theory, Danny, but what makes you think that?" Tucker asked.

"Remember our encounter at the Nasty Burger?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied, "He waited until we were outside, grabbed Vin, and tried to use…"

Her and Tucker's eyes widened.

"Oh," they stated.

"Exactly," said Danny.

Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked, "What did he have?"

"He had a Fenton Thermos," Danny replied, "And I just did an inventory check this morning. There's one missing."

The others glanced at each other with concern.

"You think this guy snuck into the Fenton Works and stole a Thermos?" Jazz asked.

"And without triggering any of the alarms?" Tucker added.

"Well, it makes sense," said Danny as they stopped in front of the park fountain, "Also, every time we've seen that ghost raven, the Hunter is also around."

Danny and Tucker sat down at fountain's edge while Sam and Jazz sat on one of the nearby benches.

"Didn't you do an inventory after first seeing him with a Fenton Thermos?" Jazz asked.

"Uh… no…" Danny admitted, "I didn't really think about it at the time."

"It doesn't matter now," said Sam, "The question is what he plans to do with all the ghosts."

"If he's the one that took them," Tucker pointed out.

Danny turned to him.

"Who else has a green Fenton Thermos?" Danny asked, "My parents never use them; we're the only ones who do. And Vlad's Fenton Thermos is red, but we've never seen it work.*******"

"Wonder what happened to that thing," said Tucker.

"Who knows?" Danny replied, "***Sigh* **Sure would be nice if Vin was in town. He could have answers for us."

Suddenly a ghost phased their head out of the ground between the group.

"Did someone call for me?"

"WHOOOAAAA…!" Danny and Tucker exclaimed as they jumped back in fear.

***Splash***

"Oops," said Vin with a shrug, "Uuuhhh… sorry…?"

Danny and Tucker frowned in annoyance as they sat in the fountain. Sam and Jazz offered them a hand and helped them out.

"Thanks," said Danny as looked around for any other people before turning himself and Tucker intangible.

The gang then turned their attention to the cloaked ghost.

"You know, for a friendly ghost, you sure know how to scare people," Danny smiled as he approached his ghostly friend.

"Yeah, sorry," Vin apologized again, "Just got back into town. Finally got the Hunter off my trail and I figured I'd come see how you guys were doing."

"Not so good," Jazz told him.

"Something bothering you guys?" Vin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well," said Danny, "turns out, the Hunter may have been staying in Amity Park since you left."

"What!?" Vin exclaimed, "I should have known it was too easy."

"And now he's been kidnapping ghosts from the Ghost Zone" Danny continued.

Vin shook his head.

"This is my fault," he sighed, "I shouldn't have led him to Amity Park."

"Well, as far as we know, he hasn't done anything with the ghosts yet," said Tucker.

"Do you have any idea what he plans to do with them?" Sam asked.

"Hm…." Vin pondered, "Well, like any hunter, I would assume that maybe he's been collecting bait for traps."

"For other ghosts?" Danny asked.

"Or you," Vin pointed out, "Why else would he have not gone after me?"

The ghost looked around nervously.

"Uh, I know this seems sudden, but could we head back to the Fenton Works?" he asked, "I feel safer there than out in the open like this. Especially with the Hunter around here."

The gang looked at each other, no comfortable with that idea.

"Look, I know I might attract his attention, but I don't want to risk getting captured by him," Vin explained, "Please?"

They thought it over for a moment.

"Well, alright," said Danny, "We better get a move on before something happens. And you might want to turn invisible before other people notice you."

Vin nodded and vanished from sight. Together, they turned began heading for the Fenton Works. But nearby, the Hunter was watching them from behind a bush. He moved some leaves out of his view and glared at the group.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jack and Maddie were busy working together on a new device. Jack was holding two large components together while Maddie welded them together. Danny, Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and Vin entered the lab and froze in place.

"Ah, hi, kids!" Maddie smiled, waving at the group.

"Shoot, my parents!" Danny hissed quietly, "Vin, hide in my room. We'll grab you in a minute."

Silently, Vin turned intangible and phased through the roof, towards Danny's room just as Jack looked over to the group.

"How was the park?" he asked them, "Did you see any ghosts?"

They glanced at each other for a second.

"Uh, no…" said Danny, "Hey, what's that you and mom are working on?"

On the table was a device that appeared to be a Fenton Ghost Peeler, only it had a longer, more rectangular barrel with three exit points, no scope, and the weight beneath it was replaced with a grappling claw attachment.

"Danny, I'm glad you asked! This is the Fenton Ecto-Energy Collector!" Jack announced, holding up the weapon, "The grapple claw is launched at the target, specifically _ghosts_, and will start drain them of their ecto-energy."

"That energy is stored within specially designed cells, which also amplify the power, and can be fired back in the form of an anti-ghost ray," Maddie finished explaining.

The gang looked slightly nervous as the explanation continued.

"And there's more!" Jack exclaimed, holding up a finger, "The claw attachment has a built-in tracker, which ensures that it will grab whatever ghost tries to flee. Hey! Let's give it a try now!"

"Uh, dad?" Danny said nervously, "There's no ghost to test it on. Why don't you test it when a ghost shows up?"

"Relax, Danny," said Jack as he pointed the weapon at Danny, "The Collector is perfectly harmless against humans, so the claw will just grab your arm, nothing more. Watch!"

Danny shut his eyes and the others braced for what might happen.

***Ding!***

"Ah! The fudge brownies are ready!" Jack explained.

He placed the weapon on the table and hurried upstairs. The gang looked at Maddie with confused looks on their faces.

"I promised to make him fudge brownies earlier," she explained before running upstairs, "Jack Fenton! If you eat all those brownies by yourself, you will be having salad as your meal three times a day for the next _**month**_!"

The members of Team Phantom looked at each other and shrugged. A moment later, Vin phased through the ceiling and floated above them.

"Is it safe now?" he asked.

"Yeah, my folks will be busy for now," said Danny.

"Okay," said Vin as his eyes glanced over to the Collector, "Whoa, is that the Fenton Ecto-Energy Collector?"

"Yeah, it is…" Jazz said, raising an eyebrow, "Why?"

Vin flew over and examined the weapon.

"Three-fingered claw, computer-aided tracking…" he breathed before shaking his head, "Sorry, just, uh, let a little of my nerdiness get to me."

"Eh, happens to the best of us," Tucker shrugged, "We should head for Danny's room and see if we can figure out what the Hunter is up to."

"Agreed," said Danny, waving everyone to follow him upstairs.

Jazz hesitated for a moment and took one last look at the Collector. She shrugged and turned to leave but noticed something was missing on one of the gunracks.

"Didn't I put the Peeler away last night?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Early that evening, outside of Amity Park, Magnus walked into his cave. Once he reached his chamber, the kneeled before a dark figure surrounded in black mist.

"My master," said the magician, "Is something the matter? You wouldn't have met me in person otherwise."

"Apologies, Magnus," said a dark voice, "There is nothing to worry about. Are we ready?"

"Yes. By tomorrow, we will finally be able to proceed with your plan."

"And the Hunter?"

"Not a thing since he saved Phantom and his friends a few days ago."

"Hmm…"

"Should we prepare for possible interference?"

"No, that won't be necessary, magician. After our previous… _encounter_… the Hunter will be nothing but a bump in the road."

"Of course, my lord."

"Remember, noon tomorrow at the park."

The misty figure floated towards the cave exit.

"And this time, Danny Phantom will meet his end."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Later, Danny Phantom returned to the Fenton Works after patrolling for a couple of hours. He phased into his room and reverted to his human form before heading downstairs to the living room. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were sitting on the couch, waiting for him. The TV was on, but no one was really paying attention.

"How's it looking, Danny?" Tucker asked.

"No sign of any ghost activity, or the Hunter," said Danny, "Where's Vin?"

"Hiding in the Command Center," Jazz answered, pointing up, "Figured that would be the best place for him to hide since there's no way for a human to get inside without using the front door."

"Did he tell you guys anything to help us figure out what the Hunter is planning?" Danny asked as Tucker pulled out his PDA.

"Nothing," said Sam, "He did seem surprised that you were still alive, Danny."

"He was?"

"Yeah," Tucker said as he looked up from his PDA, "Besides himself, you're the only ghost… or _half_-ghost, to survive an encounter with him multiple times like this."

"What an honor," Danny said sarcastically, "Where are my parents?"

"Down in the lab," everyone answered.

"Figures. Sam, you and Tucker leaving soon?" he asked them as he sat down next to her.

"Yeah," she yawned, "I am. I'm _still _tired since last night."

"And you're the one who trained me," Tucker smirked.********

"Yeah, I'm shocked you actually managed to keep up," Sam quipped, causing everyone to laugh.

Suddenly, the TV changed channels on its own.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for this emergency report," said a female news anchor, "Just outside of Amity Park, a dangerous battle involving ghosts is currently occurring within the woods."

"What!?" Jack exclaimed as he poked his head around the corner, "Ghosts!? Here!?"

He rushed over to the couch and squeezed himself between Tucker and Jazz. Maddie walked in calmly and watched the report, standing. The camera changed to show live footage of what was happening from an aerial view thanks to a news copter. There were flashes of dark pink shining through the trees. Danny noticed movement through the shrubbery. A moment later, a white figure and a lavender figure were thrown from the bushes and landed in a clearing. The moment they hit the ground, Danny, Tucker, and Sam recognized them.

"Danny," Sam whispered, "Isn't that Walker and Bullet?"

"Yeah," he whispered back, "What the heck are they doing out there? Doesn't he have a prison to run?"

The ghost warden and his second in command got back up and flew straight back into the woods, disappearing from view. More flashes occurred and a stray dark pink ghost ray shot up into the night sky.

"Two ghosts!?" Jack exclaimed before holding up a finger, "Maddie, grab the Ecto-Energy Collector! It's time for us to do our thing!"

Jack got up and ran for the door.

"Jazz, you're in charge until we get back!" he shouted over his shoulder.

By then, Maddie had returned upstairs with the Collector and rushed out the door with Jack, who closed the door behind himself. After a few seconds of silence, Jazz turned to Danny.

"Do you know those ghosts?" she asked pointing at the screen.

"Yeah," said Danny, "Remember that time when the town was overrun with all those ghosts?"

"You mean when that ghost king showed up?" Jazz asked.

"No, before that," said Danny, "When I was framed to look like I was attacking the mayor. Before Vlad, of course."

"Oh, you mean when you were labeled as public enemy number one, right?" Jazz asked, "Was it because of them?"

"Yup," said Danny.

"Guys, look!" Sam exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

The camera shifted over to more movement in the woods. The ghost rays have stopped firing, but there was still some sort of commotion in the woods. Suddenly, a larger figure erupted from the bushes and landed in another clearing. They weren't moving and appeared too tired to move. But Danny, Tucker, and Sam knew who it was.

"WULF!" they cried out.

The camera zoomed in on their injured and exhausted friend as Walker and Bullet appeared from the woods and approached their escapee.

"You've run long enough, Wulf," said Walker, "Now it's time to put you back in your cage."

Walker snapped his fingers and Bullet pulled out Wulf's old shock collar. Wulf tried to get up, but he was too tired. Danny bolted from his seat and began to run for the door, but his hand was grabbed by Sam.

"Danny…" she said sadly, "There's nothing we can do."

Danny hung his head and released a sad sigh. He then glared at the TV and sat back down. They didn't want to, but none of the members of Team Phantom could peel their eyes from the screen. Danny's eyes began glowing green as Bullet began placing the collar on his friend's neck.

***BANG***

Suddenly, a flash from the corner of the screen appeared and the collar flew from Bullet's hand. It landed on the ground in two pieces; the hinge complete obliterated.

"What!? Who's out there!?" Walker shouted, "Interfering with an arrest is against the rules! And you will be punished for it!"

Movement occurred from the darkness of the woods as the shooter stepped into the clearing. Everyone in the room dropped their jaws.

"The Hunter!?" Tucker exclaimed, "What!?"

"Another ghost hunting amateur," Walker muttered, "Bullet, watch the prisoner. I'll make this quick."

Walker flew over to the Hunter and floated before him.

"Listen, punk," said the ghost warden, "I'm not sure what you think you are doing, but you are getting in the way of-"

***WAM***

In a flash, the Hunter spun around and kicked Walker aside. He then rushed forward and batted Bullet away from Wulf with his sniper rifle. He knelt down and, from Wulf's reaction, said something to him to get him moving. The Hunter helped Wulf by having him lean on him while he used his right hand to fire his weapon back at Walker and Bullet, who were trying to engage them both. A few moments later, the Hunter and Wulf vanished into the woods, but not before Walker and Bullet were both shot in their faces and left laying on the ground.

"I'm lost," Sam announced holding her hands up in front of her, "What the heck is this guy doing kidnapping ghosts and helping Wulf!?"

"Maybe Danny was wrong," said Tucker, "Maybe the Hunter isn't kidnapping ghosts."

Just after Tucker said that, a beam from a Fenton Thermos appeared from the direction the Hunter and Wulf disappeared towards and captured Walker and Bullet.

"You were saying?" Danny asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, so the Hunter is _definitely _kidnapping ghosts," said Tucker, "But why not Wulf?"

"Because that's how he's been doing it," said a voice.

Everyone looked over and saw Vin floating down the stairs.

"Think about it," he continued, "Wulf is the only explanation as to how the Hunter has been getting into and out of the Ghost Zone."

"Wulf has the ability to create ghost portals with his claws, right?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah…" said Danny, "But it makes no sense! Why would Wulf help someone kidnap the other ghosts? His only beef is with Walker!"

"Danny," said Vin, "Have you ever wondered _why _Walker imprisoned Wulf in the first place? "

Everyone turned to face Vin.

"Wulf used to prowl around the wilds of Earth at night. Sometimes he would get caught by ghost hunters who intended to destroy him," Vin explained, "In exchange for his freedom, he would give the humans passage into the Ghost Zone, where they would attack other ghosts before returning back home."

Everyone in the room was speechless. After a moment, Danny shook his head.

"I don't believe that!" he exclaimed.

"Me neither," said Sam, "We've only known Wulf for a short time, but he's not the ghosts we've fought."

Vin held up his hands.

"Look, I'm just telling you guys-"

"Alright, I think that's enough arguing for one night," said Jazz as she got up to calm everyone down, "Look, it's getting late, why don't we all get some sleep and we'll discuss this in the morning?"

"Yeah," Danny said, irritated, "That's just great."

He stormed off upstairs, phasing through Vin with anger.

"Night, guys!" he called back to everyone.

Vin tapped his chin.

"I think I upset him," he said.

"Oh, you think!?" Sam snapped, "I'm heading home. Night, guys."

"Same here," said Tucker as he and Sam walked out.

Jazz turned to Vin and glared at him.

"What!?" he exclaimed, "I know the truth hurts, but-"

Jazz held her head high and walked by Vin without saying a word.

"Jeez," Vin muttered, "Sensitive bunch."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A little past midnight, the neighborhood was dark, with only the lights from the Fenton Works sign lit up. Danny was in bed, wearing his pajamas, resting peacefully. Across the street, on the rooftop, the Hunter looked upon the Fenton Works, glaring at Danny's bedroom window.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny stirred in his sleep and began to open his eyes. His hand brushed against something that was his bed.

"Huh!?" he exclaimed as his eyes shot open and he looked around, "What the-? Where am I!?"

Danny took a moment to take in his surroundings.

"The fountain?" Danny asked, "I'm back at the park? How did I get here?"

"Oh, you're finally awake," said a voice.

Danny turned and looked up. Standing over him was the Hunter.

"Evening, Phantom."

Danny hopped to his feet and jumped back a distance.

"You," he growled as a white ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost, "What do you want!? Where's Wulf!?"

"Relax, Phantom," said the Hunter, "I'm not here to fight you. And Wulf is safe. For now, at least."

Danny noticed something different about the Hunter.

"You sound different than you did a few days ago," Danny noted, "Get sick and lose your voice? You actually sound a lot younger now compared to that raspy old voice from before."

"Hmph," the Hunter scoffed, "Just be glad I can actually _talk_."

"Where's you rifle?" Danny asked, "Did you man up and decide to face me with your hands?"

The Hunter's red lensed eyes glared at the half-ghost.

"Listen, Phantom," he growled, "I'm in no mood for useless banter. I brought you here so we could talk in private."

"Well, I'm here now," said Danny, "But why don't we skip to the part where I kick your butt and you release all the ghosts you've captured from the Ghost Zone."

The Hunter blinked a couple of times.

"What?" Danny asked, "Thought we'd never figure it out?"

"I wasn't aware of any ghosts being kidnapped," the Hunter said calmly, "But I can assure you, I had nothing to do with it."

Danny glared at him.

"I don't believe you," he said as he darted towards him, "And I have ways of finding out the truth."

Danny went intangible and prepared to overshadow the Hunter.

"I don't think so," the Hunter growled as he cartwheeled out of the way, dodging Phantom.

Danny turned tangible again and floated before the Hunter.

"In case you've forgotten, overshadowing me is not a good idea," the Hunter reminded him, "And if you want to avoid a disaster, I suggest you-"

***WAM***

Danny punched the Hunter in the face and sent him reeling back a couple of feet. The Hunter, still on his feet, looked up, wiped where his cheek was covered by his balaclava, and glared at Danny.

"Bad move, Phantom."

He rushed Danny and pulled his hand back to ready a punch. Danny waited until the moment the Hunter was close enough to punch him to duck. But the Hunter read Danny's body and instead spun around and kicked him aside.

***BAM***

Danny flew into the air and slammed face first into a tree.

"This is a waste of time and it's really testing my patience," said the Hunter, "Now, will you stop and listen!?"

Danny turned around and held up a glowing green hand.

"Shocking," the Hunter muttered.

Nearby, a police cruiser flashed its lights and blared its siren, getting the two combatants' attention.

"Great, just what I need," said the Hunter before turning back to Danny, "Fair warning, Phantom. Stay out of my way. Don't stop me from doing what needs to be done. And no matter what, do _not _come back to this park tomorrow afternoon."

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Danny asked, "Why not!?"

"Let's just say…" the Hunter said as he turned away, "Just watch your back. You never know who will be holding the knife when they stab you in the back with it."

"Hey! Who's out there!?" an officer shouted as they approached the fountain.

Danny turned back to the Hunter.

"Why should I listen to-"

Danny stopped and blinked a couple of times as he realized that the Hunter was already gone. He glanced around for a moment before turning invisible and flew off home. Not far, the Hunter glanced up into the sky and watched Phantom fly off.

"Hmm…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"WHAT!?" everyone exclaimed.

It was the next day, and Danny, Tucker, and Sam were riding with Jazz in her car with an invisible Vin flying close by. Jazz was so surprised by Danny's story of last night that she lost control for a moment of the car before regaining it.

"Hey, where did you learn to drive!?" another driver shouted at her.

"Sorry!" Jazz shouted back before focusing back to Danny, "What do you mean the Hunter took you to the park last night!?"

Danny sighed.

"That's exactly what it means," he said, "He somehow took me while I was sleeping last night and brought me to the park."

"Why?" Tucker asked.

"I'm not really sure," said Danny, "He said something about watching my back."

Vin phased his head inside and looked at Danny's back.

"Looks fine to me," he said.

Sam facepalmed.

"Not _literally_!" she and Jazz shouted at the same time.

Vin blinked a couple of times.

"OH!" he exclaimed, "Like someone will _stab you _in the back!"

"Did he have the other ghosts with him?" Tucker asked, "I mean, don't get me wrong, most of them I'm glad we'll never have to see again, but some of them don't mean any harm. Well, aside to you, Danny."

Danny shook his head.

"He insisted that he didn't kidnap any ghosts," he explained, "He seemed to have not known about it either."

"What about Wulf?" Sam asked.

"I didn't see him," Danny answered.

"Who's Wulf?" Jazz asked, "You guys haven't told me about him."

"He's the werewolf-looking ghost you saw on the news last night," Danny explained, "We helped him out after he ran from Walker's prison a second time."**^***

"He also only speaks in Esperanto," Tucker added, "Which I've been teaching to Danny and Sam."

"Why that language?" Jazz asked.

"No clue," Tucker smiled, "But I'm fine with it."

Vin looked over and noticed Danny turning away from him.

"Danny, listen…" he sighed, "I'm sorry about what I said last night. Well, technically _how _I presented that information. I understand that you are friends with Wulf, but you have to understand that Wulf might not actually be the person you know."

Danny sighed.

"I know," he moaned, "But until I see it for myself, he's still our friend. And we're going to help him."

"That's the spirit, Danny," Jazz smiled as she made a turn.

Danny glanced outside and noticed they were driving by the park. He started pondering.

"Danny, you okay?" Sam asked, "You seem distracted by the park."

"Last night, the Hunter warned me not to go near the park at noon today," he explained.

"Well, it's almost noon now," said Tucker, "What are you thinking?"

Before Danny could answer, he gasped and his ghost sense went off.

"I really hope that was just caused by Vin," he moaned.

Suddenly, Jazz slammed on the brakes, causing the gang to lunge forward in their seats.

"Jazz!" they exclaimed.

"Are you trying to give us all whiplash!?" Danny snapped.

"Look!" Jazz exclaimed, pointing in front of her.

Everyone looked over and saw people screaming and running away from a floating ghost wearing a purple cloak. He turned and looked towards the group.

"Magnus," said Danny.

A white ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost.

"Vin," he told the ghost, "stay with the others while I go and deal with this guy."

"But what about what the Hunter warned you about?" Jazz asked.

But it was too late; Danny had already turned intangible and phased through the car. He turned tangible and flew towards the ghost magician.

"Well, if it isn't Danny Phantom," said Magnus, "Such a delight to see you again. And in good health as well."

"Enough chatter, metal face," said Danny, "Why don't you get out of here before I decide to throw your sorry magic butt into the Ghost Zone?"

"Oh, no," Magnus exclaimed sarcastically as he hid behind one of his cloaked arms, "Please! Not there! The Hunter will capture me and do such evil things to me!"

"Wow," Danny muttered, "And I thought Tucker's singing was a bad performance."

Magnus reached into his sleeve and pulled out his spell book. He quickly began turning pages until his eye glanced at a specific spell.

"Hm, well, if you didn't like that performance, let's see _you _do better!" Magnus chuckled.

He reached for a round flask around his waist that was filled with a green substance and threw it to the ground. The flask shattered and the green goo spilled onto the ground.

"Is that ectoplasm?" Danny asked himself.

""Jalaran moiparran moipar idish vinaquirem!" Magnus chanted, "Vigis lethodar ta aran kyrnawi!"

The ectoplasm began moving as a green skeletal paw reached out of the puddle.

***GGGGRRRRRRRR***

Danny glared at the creature as the ectoplasm formed into its body. The paw led a leg, and then a full skeletal wolf body with a missing tail. Its eyes were glowing a golden yellow.

"Ha. Shouldn't be a problem," Danny smirked, "You think a regular boney dog will stop me?"

"Now, now, Phantom," said Magnus, "Never judge a book by its cover. And to clarify this is a wolf, not a dog."

The wolf growled again, and Danny's smirk dropped when he saw red flames forming in its mouth.

"And this isn't a _regular_ boney wolf," Magnus continued, "It's a _pyro _boney wolf."

The wolf's body became engulfed in red flames, with golden yellow flames appearing from behind to form a tail. The wolf arched its back for a moment before it howled at Danny.

***OwwwooOOOOOOOOO~!***

A red flaming shockwave erupted towards Danny and blasted him into a nearby building.

"Ugh!" Danny grunted when he hit the wall, "That hurt…"

He fell from the wall but get himself afloat in the air. He glared at Magnus and his new pet.

"Isn't he a howler?" Magnus teased, "His howl is much like your very own Ghostly Wail, only not as powerful. A… Ghostly _Howl_, you may call it."

Danny raised his hands and fired a few ghost rays at the wolf, but it dodged the attacks and started sprinting towards him. It leapt into the air and opened its burning mouth. Danny narrowed his eyes and waited until the last second before unleashing a cryokinetic ghost ray at point blank into the wolf's chest. The wolf yelped and went sailing into the park as Danny smirked to himself.

***BAM***

Magnus teleported behind Phantom and backhanded him, following the same path as the wolf had. He landed hard against the ground on his back. As he sat up, Danny's hand felt something wet.

"Huh?"

Danny looked down and saw that he had his hand in a puddle of ectoplasm.

"Seriously? After only one hit?" Danny asked.

"What they lack in defense," said Magnus, who was floating above him, "they make up in attack power. Shame… I really liked that one."

The ghost then dropped and attempted to stomp on Danny, but Phantom turned intangible and phased into the ground just as Magnus' foot slammed onto the ground.

"Ooh, hide and seek?" Magnus teased, "My favorite game."

***WAM***

Danny snuck up behind Magnus and kicked him in the back. The ghost flew through the air before spinning around and recovering.

"Enough games, Magnus!" Danny shouted.

"But the fun's just beginning, Phantom," said Magnus as he turned a page in his book, "Pveathr tasarak moipar ith!"

The ectoplasm began to glow as a purple rune appeared above it.

"Ya ithikitalkus a soth! Dolibix kiranann igira kair!"

The ectoplasm began to bubble as a familiar looking skeleton rose from the center.

"Oh, no…" Danny moaned, "Not you again."

"Ready for round two, Phantom?" Magnus asked as Warrior unleashed a loud roar into the air.

***RRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Nearby, the Hunter was walking around the park, looking for something, while keeping as low a profile as possible with his hood.

***Caw* *Caw***

"Hm?"

He looked up and watched as the ghost raven flew down and floated before him.

"What's wrong?"

***Caw***

"WHAT!?" the Hunter shouted.

***RRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!***

The Hunter and the raven turned in the direction of the noise.

"Great," the Hunter sighed, "Well, might as well go and see the show."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at the Fenton Works, Jack was eating brownies while Maddie was reading a magazine at the dinner table. She noticed Jack was munching away at a number of brownies.

"Jack, you haven't been eating all the brownies, have you?" she asked.

"What?" he asked with his mouth full, "Of course not! The other half are still untouched!"

"Well, that's fine, but save some for the kids," said Maddie.

"I will, don't you worry, Maddie," Jack assured her as he got up and took his plate of brownies and glass of milk with him into the living room, "Now, let's see what cartoons are on. I hope the one with the monkey and the coconuts is on!"

As soon as Jack turned the TV on, a news report was playing. On screen was Danny Phantom engaging the warrior skeleton and Magnus.

"The ghost kid!" Jack exclaimed, "Maddie! Grab the keys! I'm getting the Collector! There's no way he's getting away this time!"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Vin were watching the battle from Jazz's car with interest.

"Shouldn't you guys be doing something to help him?" Vin asked.

"After our last encounter with Magnus, I think it would be best to leave it to Danny," Sam replied.

***RRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!***

Everyone looked outside at saw the warrior hulking over to Danny.

"What about _that_?" Vin asked nervously.

"We should probably help him," said Tucker.

Vin phased through the car as the others opened the doors and rushed over to give Danny support.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Whoooooaaaa!" Danny screamed as he was thrown through the park by the Warrior.

He gasped when he saw an all too familiar fountain.

"Nope!" he shouted as he turned intangible and phased through it, "Not letting that happen again."

Danny turned tangible again and landed on one knee. He turned around and gasped when he saw the warrior ghost falling towards him with its chain mace ready to crush him. Danny held up his hands and created a ghost shield around him. The warrior slammed its weapon against the shield, but it was deflected back into its face.

"Alright, my turn!" Danny exclaimed.

The ghost shield disappeared, and Danny launched himself towards the brawler. He turned intangible and phased inside the skeletons central body cavity. Warrior tried to grab at Danny, but he couldn't touch him. The skeleton's chest began to glow brightly before Danny unleashed a repulsion field**^****, dismantling the Warrior into a bunch of bones scattered around the park. Someone started applauding and Danny turned to see it was Magnus.

"Quite impressive," Magnus commented, "For a child."

Danny glared at the magician and flew towards him.

"Don't you mean _teenager_?" he asked as he prepared to blast the magician with a cryokinetic ghost ray.

"Boli kali ithikitalkus!" Magnus chanted.

Suddenly, a purple symbol appeared on the ground in front of Magnus and chains of the same color erupted from the ground and grabbed Danny by his wrists and ankles.

"Hey!" Danny shouted, "Let go of me!"

As the chains held Danny down to keep him on the ground, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Vin arrived on scene and saw him in trouble. They quickly hid in the bushes to stay out of sight.

"So, what's the plan?" Jazz asked.

"We need to get that spell book away from Magnus," said Sam, "Without it, he can't cast spells."

"What about Danny?" Vin asked.

"Hm…" Sam pondered, "Not sure."

She poked her head out and saw Danny trying to escape using intangibility, but it was no use.

"Let's focus on getting the book first," said Jazz, "Vin, you think you can grab it while we distract Magnus?"

"I sure can!" he exclaimed as he turned invisible and away to get into position.

"Okay," said Sam, "You guys ready?"

"I know I am," said Magnus as three groups of chains erupted through the leaves and grabbed them.

Danny was still struggling to break free from his bounds.

"Darn!" he hissed, "Why can't I use my ghost rays?"

"Because those chains are slowly draining your energy," Magnus explained as he floated over to him, "Oh, and I brought some people over to keep you company."

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were pulled by the flying chains and anchored around Danny, inside the giant glowing symbol.

"Hey, Danny," Tucker smiled, "We were trying to save you, but got a little chained up."

"Great," Danny muttered, "Now we're _all _trapped."

He looked around and noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Vin?" Danny asked.

"I think he's still around," said Jazz, "But I don't… uuuhhhh…"

"Jazz?" Danny asked, "You okay?"

"I'm feeling… weak all of a sudden," she moaned.

"So am I," said Tucker.

"What's… happening to us?" Sam asked.

Magnus started chuckling, getting their attention.

"Your energies are being drained, thanks to my spell," Magnus explained as he pulled out a small black orb from his sleeve, "And thanks to all of you, we can now charge the Orb of Power."

The Orb began to float from the magician's hand and hovered above the group. A moment later, an aura of light traveled from each member of Team Phantom and traced through the air until they reached the Orb. Slowly, it began to glow a cyber yellow color and a slightly darker swirl appeared within.

"Ah, yes!" Magnus exclaimed, "The Orb is already nearly charged! All that's left is-"

***BANG***

Something impacted into Magnus' chest and sent him flying into a tree. Everyone turned to see what it was but didn't see anything.

"There you are, ghost!" Jack shouted as he came charging from the side, aiming the Collector at Danny, "Time to make sure you can't escape!"

"I already can't," Danny deadpanned.

Jack fired the Collect's grapple and it went flying towards Danny.

"Don't worry, kids!" Jack shouted, "I'll get you out of there in no time!"

***Caw* *Caw***

The ghost raven swooped down between the grapple and Danny, causing the auto-targeting to slightly change course. It was enough to avoid grabbing Danny and instead grab one of the chains holding him.

"Cursed bird!" Jack exclaimed, "Ah, no matter. The Collector is still charging up with energy."

A moment later, the chains from the spell disappeared, freeing all of Team Phantom. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz collapsed to their knees.

"Hey, you guys alright?" Danny asked.

"We're fine," said Sam.

"I'd be worried about your dad, dude," said Tucker.

Just as he said that, Jack was towering over Danny and aiming the Collector directly at his head.

"Any last words, ghost?" Jack said with a glare.

***CAW***

Suddenly, the ghost raven grabbed at the Collector and began pulling Jack away.

"Hey! That's mine!" Jack shouted as his heels dug through the grass, "Stupid bird, I'll show you what happens when you mess with Jack Fenton!"

As Jack went further into the park, Danny blinked and scratched his head.

"What the heck was that all about?" he asked himself.

He noticed a yellow glow from the corner of his eyes and approached the Orb of Power. He grabbed it and examined it.

"What is this thing?" he asked.

"One of your worst nightmares," said a voice behind him.

"Hunter," Danny growled as he turned to face him, "You must be the one working with Magnus, aren't you?"

The Hunter rolled his eyes and sighed as he hung his rifle around his shoulder.

"Wrong again, Phantom," he moaned, "And when I told you _not _to come here, which part did you not understand? And bringing your friends and sister too? Brilliant."

"What are you doing here?" Danny asked.

The Hunter took a deep breath and sighed again.

"I'm trying to stop the end of the world."

"Seriously?" Danny asked, not convinced, "You expect me to believe that?"

"If not that," the Hunter said as he reached under his shirt collar and pulled out a strange looking pendant, "then maybe _this _will convince you."

Danny took one look at what the Hunter was showing him and instantly recognized it.

"A time medallion!?" he exclaimed before glaring at the Hunter and readying his ice powers, "You've taken Clockwork as well!?"

"Wrong again," said the Hunter as he placed the medallion back under his shirt, "And if you want answers…"

He quickly spun around, grabbed at the air, and choke slammed something into the ground.

"… you should ask _him_."

"Vin!?" Danny exclaimed, "What the heck is going on!?"

"I don't know!" Vin shouted, "Let me go, you psycho!"

"Don't try and deceive them, Vin," the Hunter growled, "Tell them what you truly are!"

"Enough!" Danny shouted, "Let him go and tell us what you want!"

"That's not going to happen," said the Hunter as he pulled out a Fenton Thermos, "And I will prove that I'm telling the truth."

"Don't listen to him, Danny!" Vin cried out, "He could have easily stolen that medallion from Clockwork's domain!"

"Coming from the most dangerous ghost to ever exist?" the Hunter asked dryly, "Pathetic."

"You think you can win this fight?" Danny asked, "Your making a huge mistake, pal."

The Hunter flicked his Thermos against his hip, clipping the bottom of the cap so that it would pop off. He pressed a button and the Thermos began to glow.

"Wait!" Sam shouted as she, Tucker, and Jazz slowly got back up on their feet, "Isn't there another way to focus your anger, other than taking it out on every ghost you see?"

The Hunter froze in place for a moment.

"You guys are idiots," he muttered, "And I'm not wasting another second to continue this chase."

He aimed the Fenton Thermos at Vin's head and it began to glow brighter.

"No!" Danny exclaimed and leapt for the Thermos.

Just as his hands grabbed it, the Thermos instantly died down and deactivated.

"Huh?" Danny exclaimed.

The others sighed in relief.

"Nice save, little brother," said Jazz.

"I… didn't do anything," Danny admitted, "And neither did the Thermos. The only way it would do that is if…"

His eyes widened.

"Is if the Thermos was empty," he finished.

"HELP!" Vin shouted.

The Hunter's eyes glanced over to the corner and saw movement. Magnus was floating in the air and held out one of his hands at Tucker and Sam.

"Kalipar du xaquin idish!" Magnus chanted, causing sparks to appear from his hand.

"Wulf!" the Hunter shouted, "Viaj amikoj bezonas helpon!"

**(Wulf! Your friends need help!)**

Suddenly, from nearby shrubs, Wulf lunged out and slashed Magnus with his claws. The magician slammed into the tree again and lost consciousness as the sparks in his hands disappeared.

"Wulf!" Danny, Tucker, and Sam exclaimed, rushing over to their friend.

"Amicoj!" Wulf exclaimed and gave Danny and Tucker a big slobbery lick across their faces.

He was about to do the same to Sam, but she held her hands up.

"No, thanks," she said, "I've already been covered in drool once this week."

Wulf's face fell but smiled again when Sam gave him a hug instead.

"I'm glad to see you're safe," she told him before pulling away.

"Wulf, ĉu vi estas bone? Ĉu la Hunter vundis vin?" Tucker asked.

**(Wulf, are you okay? Did the Hunter hurt you?)**

"Jes, mi fartas bone," Wulf replied, "La Ĉasisto savis min, dufoje.

**(Yes, I'm fine. The Hunter saved me, twice.)**

"He says that the Hunter saved him," Tucker told the others, "_Twice_."

"Twice?" Danny asked, "We know he saved you from Walker and Bullet last night. Who else did he save you from?"

Wulf pointed his finger at someone.

"Vin?" Sam asked, "That's crazy!"

"Yes," said the Hunter, "_He _is."

"Can you just tell us what the heck is going on!?" Danny asked.

"Danny, Wulf was pointing at the Hunter! Not me!" Vin cried out.

"Let me ask you guys something," said the Hunter, "Vin says he's not from around here, right?"

"Yeah," Danny answered, "Why?"

The Hunter tossed Vin over his shoulder to the ground between him and the others. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a voice recorder.

"Did you mention any weapons to him before showing him around your home?" the Hunter asked, "Like a weapon that has yet to be seen by the public at all?"

"What are you talking about?" Tucker asked.

"Is there something we're not getting?" Sam asked.

The Hunter played the recording.

"_Isn't this the amazing Ghost Chiller that I've heard about?" _Vin asked in the recorder.

"_Yes, it is," _Danny said, yawning.

The Hunter stopped the recorder.

"Now, as amazing as that weapon is, no one has even heard of it yet, even after you little skirmish with Wick," the Hunter explained.

Danny started looking at Vin suspiciously.

"That does make sense…" he said, "Wait… how long have you been watching me!?"

"Long enough," the Hunter replied.

"Guys, he's crazy!" Vin exclaimed as he pulled his hood off, "We need to take care of him now!"

"Have you guys ever mentioned Magnus' name to Vin?" the Hunter asked.

The gang looked at one another for a moment.

"No, we haven't," Sam growled, glaring at Vin.

The Hunter played another recording.

"_Or the time we first fought Youngblood?"_ said Tucker.

"_But-"_

"_How about Magnus, who's still out there?"_ Vin added.

"_Okay, okay, I get it!"_ Danny shouted before giving a sigh.

The Hunter stopped the recording and put it away in his pocket.

"I have plenty more," he stated.

"I have one as well," Jazz announced, "Yesterday, you were practically drooling over the Collector, telling us many of the specifications it has. You weren't even in the room when mom and dad were telling us about it. And those very specific ones you said were never spoken by our parents."

"_Whoa, is that the Fenton Ecto-Energy Collector?" Vin asked._

"_Yeah, it is…" Jazz said, raising an eyebrow, "Why?"_

_Vin flew over and examined the weapon._

"_Three-fingered claw, computer-aided tracking…" he breathed before shaking his head, "Sorry, just, uh, let a little of my nerdiness get to me."_

"And that weapon was just completed seconds before they showed it to us," Danny added.

Phantom marched over and grabbed Vin by the collar with his free hand.

"You know something about the missing ghosts, don't you?" he asked, "Where are they!?"

"Here's a better question you should ask him," the Hunter said as he turned to face to group, "Why is he hiding a Fenton Thermos under his cloak?"

The gang surrounded Vin and glared at him.

"It's over, _Vin_," said the Hunter, "Or should I call you by your _real name_?"

Vin looked around nervously before hanging his head. He started shaking and it sounded like he was crying. It wasn't until he lifted his head that he showed them that he was laughing maniacally.

"Oh, Hunter," he said evilly, "I must give you credit. You are much smarter than I thought. For a ghost hunter from the future, you've really surprised me.

Suddenly, black fog began to erupt from under Vin's cloak and his fists began to glow red.

"But you are too late," Vin smirked, "And this chase must now come to an end."

He unleashed a powerful repulsion field that sent the gang, the Hunter, and Wulf flying backwards. They all landed on their backs. Danny looked at his hand and realized he dropped the Orb. He then looked over and saw Vin picking it up.

"I must say, it was a pleasure meeting all of you… _again_," Vin grinned.

He waved his free hand out and summoned a large scythe with a glowing green blade at opposite ends of the staff.

"But the fun's over for all of you," he said darkly as he dashed towards Danny and prepared to slice the half-ghost in half.

Danny held up his arms as he turned intangible.

***CLANG*  
**

"Huh?" Danny exclaimed as he went tangible again.

He looked past his arms and saw the Hunter holding his rifle up, blocking the attack.

"Danny, get everyone out of here!" the Hunter said, straining against Vin, "I'll handle this lunatic."

Vin kneed the Hunter in the stomach, causing him to lower his rifle. The ghost slashed his scythe upwards, cutting the rifle into two and staggering the Hunter. Danny glared at Vin and fired a ghost ray at his chest. The deceitful ghost was sent back a couple of feet before looking up and glaring at Phantom with burning red eyes.

"No happening!" said Danny, "This is my responsibility. I can handle him."

"This is not up for debate, Phantom," the Hunter growled as he dropped his destroyed rifle and rubbed his face.

Danny turned to face him.

"Well, too b-"

Phantom's eyes widened when he saw a huge tear through the Hunter's balaclava from left eye to lover right cheek. The Hunter grabbed the headwear and yanked it off, throwing it to the ground. Everyone gasped when they saw his face. He had long, dark brown hair that was shoulder length and dark green eyes. Although his balaclava was torn, his face was not scathed. Vin took one look at his enemy's face and huffed.

"Trevor…" he growled, "Should have known you were the one after me this whole time."

"Yeah?" the Hunter asked as he reached behind his back, "Well, thanks for breaking my rifle. Now I'll have to use 'Plan B'."

"Wait…" said Tucker, "The Hunter is a _kid_!?"

"Is _now _really the time for this, Tucker!?" Sam exclaimed.

Vin dashed forward again, this time for the Hunter, but Danny got in his way and blasted Vin with an icy ghost beam. It froze the ghost in place.

"Move aside, Danny," the Hunter told him.

Danny looked over and saw that he had the Fenton Ghost Peeler in hand and was already armored up. He jumped aside as the trigger was pulled and an energy beam rocketed towards Vin.

"Aaaaahhhggghhh!" the ghost screamed as the attack shattered the ice encasing the ghost and unveiled a purple rune around him.

Black fog began pouring out of Vin's cloak and, after a moment, was completely hidden within a thick cloud. The Hunter ceased fire and the armor retracted back into the weapon. Danny slowly began walking towards the black fog when he saw the yellow glowing orb roll away from Vin. A moment later, a Fenton Thermos fell to the ground and rolled next to the orb.

"Don't get near him," the Hunter warned, "That's exactly what he wants."

Danny stopped in his tracks as the black fog began to dissipate. A dark, evil laugh could be heard.

"The Fenton Ghost Peeler…" Vin chuckled, "Well played, Trevor."

The ghost before everyone was no longer recognizable. His size had increased by half, his cloak was now a pitch-black color, his black leather gloves now had metal spikes protruding from his knuckles, and his ghost tail was gone; only black smoke that leaked from below the waist. But the biggest change was his face; as he looked up, only a dull green skull was seen, with crimson red donut eyes glowing within his black sockets.

"Who… _are _you?" Danny asked nervously as he slowly backed away.

Wulf got on all fours and growled at the terrifying foe, protecting Tucker, Sam, and Jazz.

"I am… _Reaper_," the ghost explained as he pulled his hood over his head, telekinetically picked up the orb and Fenton Thermos, and pointed his scythe at Danny, "And your soul is mine to take."

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz stared in horror as the Hunter and Wulf glared at the threat.

"Magnus!" Reaper ordered, "Deal with the mutt. These two are _mine_."

The magician suddenly teleported towards Wulf and readied his spell book for use. Wulf snarled at him.

"I can't wait to see what fun this will be," Magnus chuckled.

The Hunter cracked his knuckles and stood in front of Danny.

"Sorry, Clockwork," the Hunter muttered, "But I'm doing things my way now."

Reaper's dark laughter filled the air.

_**To be continued…**_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** ****The Fenton Ghost Peeler is the weapon used to defeat Penelope Spectra in "My Brother's Keeper". It removes ghostly disguises as well as harm them. It also damages simple human clothing.**

**** Reference to the episode "Secret Weapons".**

***** Valerie tried using Vlad's 'Plasmius Thermos' in "Shades of Gray", but she couldn't get it open. Since Vlad's never been seen using one himself, assume this Thermos was destroyed after the original Red Huntress suit was also destroyed thanks to Technus.**

****** Tucker is referring to the events in "Micro Management".**

**^ Do I really need to remind everyone of "Public Enemies"? There's only two episodes involving Wulf, and you're going to make to remind you? And no, "Phantom Planet" doesn't count. With the exception of Dan Phantom, everyone ghost was in that episode. Though, I will say, I was very happy to see Wulf again in "Claw of the Wild". Two whole seasons just to bring him back. Why would they do that!? Was it because the show was getting canceled!? (Wulf: Um… duh?)**

**^* Again, really? "Claw of the Wild"… but Wulf getting his tongue stuck on a frozen Walker-sicle was **_**funny**_**.**

**^** A repulsion field is an ecto-energy ability where the user surrounds themselves in a ball of energy and then unleashes it the form of an explosion. First seen in the episode "Control Freaks".**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Just to be completely clear, this is NOT part one of a "movie", this is simply a two-part episode arc. The overall story arc will be longer. That being said, there will be "movies" once in a while, and maybe, possibly, an actual movie length story that will take place between seasons. Again, I haven't decided yet, but I have plenty of ideas.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Did anyone actually predict this? Well, the fun's not even half done yet! If you think this was a shocker, just wait until next episode. If only have your brain exploded by now… well, better make peace with the other half, 'cause it won't be around for much long. *Wink***

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	6. Episode 57: The Timeless Struggle

**Welcome back, phans!**

**I know you are all still gripping your butts, so let's get straight into the thick of it!**

**Ver. 1.0.1 (1/3/20)**

**Update (1.0.1): Fixed grammatical errors.**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom, which I'm sure everyone reading is aware of by now. I'm still not sure why we need these disclaimers, but apparently most people have no common sense. Okay, let's start the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**Last time, on Danny Phantom…**_

_During patrol, something hit Danny from above and sent him flying towards the ground._

"_Hello, whelp."_

"_Skulker."_

_Skulker suddenly grabbed Danny by the collar and brought him close to his face._

"_Last warning," he said, "Tell me where everyone is, or I will make your life more miserable than you can possibly imagine. Many inhabitants of the Ghost Zone have gone missing. I witnessed as Poindexter and the Lunch Lady Ghost were captured by someone using a Fenton Thermos."_

_A grapple beam from a Fenton Thermos above them grabbed Skulker and pulled him inside._

_The next day, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were walking around the park._

"_I'm pretty certain I know who's behind it," said Danny, "I'm betting the Hunter is behind it."_

"_Do you have any idea what he plans to do with them?" Sam asked._

"_Hm…." Vin pondered, "Well, like any hunter, I would assume that maybe he's been collecting bait for traps."_

_Nearby, the Hunter was watching them from behind a bush._

_A little past midnight, Danny and the Hunter were in the park._

"_I'm not here to fight you," said the Hunter, "Watch your back. You never know who will be holding the knife when they stab you in the back with it."_

_The next day, the Hunter played a recording to everyone._

"_**How about Magnus, who's still out there?**__" Vin added._

"_Have you guys ever mentioned Magnus' name to Vin?" the Hunter asked._

_Phantom marched over and grabbed Vin by the collar with his free hand._

"_You know something about the missing ghosts, don't you?" he asked, "Where are they!?"_

"_Oh, Hunter," Vin said evilly, "I must give you credit. You are much smarter than I thought."_

"_Who… are you?" Danny asked nervously as he slowly backed away._

"_I am… __**Reaper**__," the ghost explained as he pulled his hood over his head, telekinetically picked up the orb and Fenton Thermos, and pointed his scythe at Danny, "And your soul is mine to take."_

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: The Timeless Struggle (Episode 57)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The Hunter glared at Reaper as Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz slowly backed away. The Fenton Thermos and yellow Orb were still floating within Reaper's grasps.

"What's wrong, Trevor?" Reaper teased, "Afraid I might slice something else in your body?"

The Hunter narrowed his eyes.

"Uh, Hunter? Or Trevor?" Danny asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah," he replied, "Duck."

As he said that, the Hunter grabbed Danny's collar and pulled him down to the ground, narrowly avoiding the grapple of the Collector. The claw flew straight at Reaper and grabbed him by his skull.

"Aarrghhhh…" he groaned as the grapple began draining his energy.

Nearby, Jack and Maddie were standing behind a bush, with Jack holding the Collector and Maddie holding the Fenton Ghost Chiller.

"Ha! Take that, ghost!" Jack exclaimed as the Collector began charging with Reaper's energy.

"Jack, weren't you were aiming at the ghost boy?" Maddie asked.

"Ah, Maddie, it won't matter," Jack replied, "Without that skeleton ghost's help, the ghost child will have less allies to help him."

The Hunter quickly got back up to his feet and charged towards Reaper. The foe grabbed the claw the ripped it off his face. He swung his scythe at the Hunter, but he vaulted himself over the attack, grabbed the Fenton Thermos and Orb and landed on Magnus' head.

***Clang***

The Hunter launched himself off the magician, tossed the Thermos into the air, and landed next to Wulf. Magnus fell to his knees and held his head.

"Wulf, malfermu fantoman portalon!" the Hunter yelled.

**(Wulf, open a ghost portal!)**

Wulf extended his sharp claws and slashed through the air, tearing open a portal into the Ghost Zone. The Fenton Thermos began to fall back down when the ghost raven flew in and grabbed it before disappearing into the Ghost Zone.

"Trairu la portalon kaj fermu ĝin malantaŭ vi," said the Hunter.

**(Go through the portal and close it behind you)**

Wulf nodded and turned to leave through the portal. He looked over his shoulder to Danny.

"We'll meet again," he smiled before jumping through the portal.

The tear closed behind him and Reaper glared at the Hunter.

"You've become a real thorn in my side, Trevor," he growled, "Magnus!"

The ghost magician shook his head and got back up onto his feet. A blast from the Chiller flew over his head and bounced off the fountain, back towards him.

"Kalipar du xaquin idish!" he chanted and launched a fireball towards the projectile.

The resin and fireball collided, creating a small explosion in the air. Reaper looked over his shoulder and saw Jack and Maddie running over.

"Keep those two busy," he ordered Magnus.

"Not as much fun," Magnus sighed, "Very well."

He teleported away from the group and behind Jack and Maddie. He tapped their shoulders to get their attention.

"Boo," he said before floating away.

"Ghost!" Jack exclaimed and he and Maddie chased after him.

Back with the others, Reaper charged at Danny, scythe readied. The Hunter ran forward and launched himself at Reaper, fly-kicking him in the back towards Danny, who flew forward and punched the ghost in the face.

***WHAM***

Reaper's back skidded across the ground a few feet before he floated back up and glared at his attackers. The Hunter looked over and tossed Jazz the Fenton Peeler. She raised her eyebrow.

"Take your brother and the others and get out of here," he told her, "I'll finish this."

Danny glanced over at him.

"Fat chance, kid," he said, "If this guy's causing trouble, then _I'll _be the one to handle it!"

The Hunter grabbed Danny by the collar and threw him towards the others. Phantom quickly recovered and floated in front of them.

"That scythe will slice you in two, even if you go intangible, Phantom," the Hunter warned as he turned back to Reaper, "If you think I'm just gonna let you die, well you are sadly mistaken. Not get out of here!"

As soon as he finished his sentence, Reaper charged at the Hunter and swung downwards. The Hunter jumped to the side and punched the Reaper's sides twice before backflipping and kicking the side of his face. He landed with one hand on the ground and looked up. Reaper wiped his jaw with the back of his hand and chuckled as his eyes began to glow red.

"Well, this will take a while," the Hunter muttered just before cartwheeling away from the Reaper's eyebeams.

Team Phantom watched the fight from the sidelines.

"Come on," said Jazz, "Let's get out of here before things get too hectic."

She, Tucker, and Sam turned around and began to leave.

"I'm not leaving," said Danny.

"Huh?" the others exclaimed.

"Why not?" Jazz asked.

"I don't care what he said, this is my home and I'm going to protect it, with or without his help," said Danny, "You guys get back to the Fenton Works. We'll meet you there."

"Okay," said Jazz, "Come on guys."

Sam hesitated for a moment.

"Be careful, Danny," she told him.

Danny smirked before flying into the battle. The Hunter and Reaper were locked in a battle of strength as the two were trying to overwhelm the other by pushing against the staff of the scythe. The Hunter's arms were beginning to shake and sweat was appearing on his face.

"What's the matter, Trevor?" Reaper teased, "Getting tired?"

The Hunter was slowly brought down to one knee as Reaper's eyes began to glow. Suddenly, a green ghost ray hit Reaper and pushed him off the Hunter. Danny flew over and offered him a hand.

"You're gonna be the death of me, you know that?" the Hunter asked as he took Phantom's hand.

"Yeah, well, I don't let the bad guys win," Danny replied, "I don't know what your story is, but I'm certain that you know that if we work together, we can beat him."

The Hunter brushed some hair out of his face and glanced at Danny.

"Fine," he said, "Hope you can keep up."

Reaper pulled himself up using his scythe and looked up in time to see Danny and the Hunter charging him.

***BAM***

The Hunter punched him in the stomach.

***POW***

Danny punched him across the face.

***BLAM***

The Hunter elbowed him in the back.

***WAM***

Danny gave him an uppercut.

"Ugghhh…" Reaper moaned as he sat back up, "I've had enough of this! Magnus!"

The Hunter reached behind his back to grab something, but realized it wasn't there.

"Huh!?"

He glanced over and saw his Fenton Thermos a few feet away. He ran to it as Magnus appeared next to Reaper.

"No!" the Hunter shouted as he reached for the container.

"Kiranann ta sular sinur ast!" Magnus chanted, causing Reaper and himself to glow a purple aura.

"Too slow, Trevor," Reaper smirked, "Good luck catching me now!"

The Hunter grabbed the Thermos and aimed it at the two ghosts, but by the time they were in the crosshairs, they teleported away.

"DARN IT!" the Hunter shouted, slamming his fist into the ground, "He got away _again_!"

Danny walked over to him.

"Hey, relax," he said, "You'll get him next time."

The Hunter scoffed and went over to grab the Thermos' cap.

"Danny, you don't understand," he said as he slapped the cap on.

"Well, telling me what the heck is going on would be a great start," Danny snapped.

"… Fine," said the Hunter, "To begin with-"

"There's the ghost kid!" Maddie shouted, "And he's kidnapping that boy!"

"Just perfect," Danny and the Hunger muttered.

"I'll deal with my parents," said Danny, "It's almost nighttime, but I think it's time we had that long overdue talk."

"Agreed," said the Hunter as he picked up his broken rifle and balaclava, "But first, I need to make a stop. I'll meet you at the Nasty Burger tomorrow."

"_Tomorrow_!?" Danny exclaimed, "Why!?"

"We've got him now, Maddie!" Jack shouted as he aimed the Collector at Phantom.

"Just trust me, okay?" the Hunter asked.

With that said, the two split up.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The next day, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were waiting impatiently at the Nasty Burger.

"You sure we can trust him?" Sam asked Danny, "I mean, I know he saved us and Wulf, but this kid seems a little…"

"Crazy?" Tucker asked.

"I was going to say 'dangerous', but that too," said Sam.

"Guys, he's just a kid," said Danny, "It's not like we can ignore some eleven-year-old who shows up with an anti-ghost weapon and some serious fighting skills."

"Twelve-year-old," said a voice next to the group.

The gang turned and saw the Hunter standing there, with no balaclava. The ghost raven was perched on his shoulder.

"I'm twelve, for future reference," he said flatly.

"Wow," said Danny as he checked his cellphone, "We only had to wait 10 minutes."

"And I've spent the last few hours making sure every ghost was accounted for in the Ghost Zone," the Hunter growled, "Well, _almost _every ghost. Just the ones that were known to have been missing. Oh, and Johnny's Shadow is still mad at you."

"Is this about the time Magnus made copies of him?" Danny asked, "I apologized like three times already!"

"Your problem, not mine," said the Hunter.

"So… exactly _who _are you?" Jazz asked.

"Before we get to the questions, Danny might want to deal with _him _first," said the Hunter.

"Deal with who?" Danny asked.

Suddenly, he gasped and a blue mist escaped his mouth. Seconds later, people outside began screaming and running from a large green ghost. It was twice Danny's size and had a flame on top of its head.

"Wick?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, saw him lurching around on my way here," the Hunter explained, "Consider this as a test to see how well you do in a fight."

"Seriously!?" Danny exclaimed, "Great… I'm not even in school and I'm still taking exams."

As people ran out of the Nasty Burger and out of the area, Danny got up and raised his arms.

"I'm going ghost!" he exclaimed.

A white ring appeared around his waist and split into opposite moving rings, turning him into Danny Phantom. He went intangible and went outside to deal with the threat.

"Come on," said the Hunter to the others, "You'll be more help outside, if you can be of any. And I need more fresh air."

Phantom flew over to Wick, who was busy scaring people away. He fired an icy ghost ray at Wick's back, covering it in ice. The wax ghost turned and growled at Danny.

"Isn't it a little early to be scaring people?" Danny quipped, "Halloween isn't for another three months."

Wick replied with two large blobs of green wax thrown at him. Danny tried blasting them with a regular ghost ray, but the attack did nothing. He quickly flew around the projectiles and fired cryo-ghost rays from both hands at Wick, encasing his torso and arms in ice.

"Yeah! You go, Danny!" Tucker cheered.

"You've got him!" Jazz added with one of her arms raised.

Sam turned to the Hunter, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and saw how impressed he looked.

"Well, he's doing well, right?" she asked with a nervous smile.

The Hunter's eyes glanced over to hers.

"I wouldn't start cheering until he's captured Wick," he told Tucker and Jazz without shifting his eyes.

Tucker and Jazz looked at each other for a moment and calmed down.

"Phantom!" the Hunter shouted, "Normal ghost rays won't work on him! His wax just absorbs the attacks to make him more powerful!"

"Uh… Thanks?" Danny replied, "I thought this was a test."

Danny flew towards Wick and punched him in the right arm, shattering it into multiple pieces. He then made a U-turn and did the same to the other arm.

"Ha!" Phantom exclaimed, floating a short distance from Wick, "Like this is such a challenge."

Wick glared at Danny as his flame slowly grew bigger. The ice around his body began to crack.

"Uh-oh," said Danny.

The cracks continued to appear until Wick broke free and his arms reformed.

"You can't delay your attacks!" the Hunter shouted, getting Danny's attention, "He's only vulnerable against extreme temperatures, but his wax quickly returns to room temperature!"

Danny nodded and flew towards Wick once more. He fired another cryokinetic ghost ray at Wick, this time towards the flame on his head. Wick quickly ducked under the attack before slapping Danny away. Phantom went spinning through the air for a moment before he regained control and reoriented himself in the air. The Hunter glared at Danny as he watched him attempt the same thing. This time, Wick was ready and grabbed the hero.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed.

Wick bellowed directly into Danny's face before trapping his body in a ball of wax and throwing him at the others.

"Incoming!" Tucker shouted as he, Sam, and jazz ran out of the way.

***SPLORT***

"Ugghh…" Danny groaned as his body remained glued to the wall of the Nasty Burger, upside-down.

The other members of Team Phantom rushed over to help him.

"You okay, Danny?" Jazz asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied as he turned intangible to free himself, "But I'm really stuck. I'm coated in wax."

Wick laughed at the hero's feeble attempt to stop him and began to walk away. Danny struggled a few seconds longer before giving up and turning tangible again.

"I don't think I need to tell you this," said the Hunter, "But you can't get out of Wick's wax using intangibility. You just can't."

"Oh, thanks, professor!" Danny remarked, "If you're such an expert, why don't _you _go deal with him."

The Hunter glanced over at him and stared for a moment before looking away.

"***Sigh* **Unbelievable," the Hunter muttered, "Well, I was going to tell you guys later, but I guess I'll do it now."

"Tell us what?" Tucker asked as everyone looked at the Hunter.

The Hunter uncrossed his arms and walked out into the road. The ghost raven flew off his shoulder and landed on a nearby traffic light. Team Phantom kept watching, wondering what he was going to do. He put his thumb and finger in his mouth and blew a loud whistle that got Wick's attention.

"Hey! Hothead!" the Hunter shouted.

Wick stopped moving and turned towards him.

"You think you're getting away _that _easily?" the Hunter asked.

Danny used his cryo-eyebeams to freeze the wax around him and broke free.

"What's he doing?" Danny asked as he got up to his feet.

The Hunter took a deep breath and sighed. He closed his eyes as a light blue ring appeared around his waist. The rings split into two, one moving up and the other down. His clothes changed into a black jump suit with white gloves and boots. The suit collar was a thin green with another slightly larger one an inch below the collar. He had white bands around his lower arms a couple of inches from his wrists, and around his elbows and knees. A thin green band was around his knees, in the center of the white ones. His light skin was now tan, and his long brown hair was now a uranium blue color. He opened his eyes to reveal their glowing neon green color. Around his neck was a small white scarf. Upon his chest was a large and bold white 'L' with a neon green bolden letter 'S' resting within the open area of the 'L', both stylized in a similar font as Danny's logo. The members of Team Phantom had their jaws hanging and Wick was stunned.

"Another one?" he asked in a watery voice, "Ha! What can a child like you do?"

The half-ghost started floating up into the air. He held up his hands and dark green fireballs appeared in his palms. Wick raised a brow before the Hunter rocketed straight at Wick.

***SPLORT***

"Huh!?" everyone exclaimed.

Wick looked down and saw a small hole where the Hunter entered inside his body. He quickly closed it up, trapping him inside, and laughed.

"What was _that_!?" he asked, "You trying to make me laugh? Well, mission…"

Slowly, Wick's body began to melt. His eyes widened as he realized he couldn't keep himself together.

"Nnnooo!" he shouted, "My body! My beautiful wax body!"

"Did he just say 'beautiful'?" Tucker asked, "Because I've Spectra's real face, and she's better looking than him."

The wax on Wick's body continued to melt off as he tried to control it, but it wasn't long until the wax was all melted away and all that was left was the Hunter and Wick's true body, both floating in the air.

"Uh…" said Wick before giving a nervous smile, "Can I get a head start?"

The Hunter pulled out a Fenton Thermos and quickly captured the ghost. He then aimed the Thermos at all the wax and trapped some inside the Thermos. The remaining wax started hardening into

"Thirty seconds," he said to himself, "Could do better."

He turned to the others and flew over to them. Their mouths were still hanging open.

"Here," the Hunter said to Danny as he tossed the Thermos to him, "I think that belongs to you."

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were as still as statues.

"Yeah, I know, I'm a halfa," said the Hunter, "Now can we get to the Fenton Works before you bombard me with-"

"YOU'RE HALF-GHOST!?" Danny asked.

"YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT THE WHOLE TIME!?" Sam exclaimed.

"ARE YOU DANNY AND SAM'S SON!?" Tucker asked.

Danny and Sam glared at Tucker.

"What?" he asked, "Time medallion, ghost powers. He's obviously from the future! And he could be… well, you know."

"… questions," the Hunter muttered as he rubbed his forehead, "This is going to be a _long _day."

"… I'll wait in the car," said Jazz as she slowly made her way over to the parking lot.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In Magnus' cave, Reaper was furiously floating around, appearing as though he was looking for something to destroy with his hands. Magnus had his back to him, busy reading through his spell book.

"Rrrrgghhh!" Reaper growled as he smashed a large boulder nearby into rubble.

"Master, I do believe that boulder did no wrong to you," Magnus said over his shoulder.

Reaper glared dangerously at the magician.

"Do you have any idea what that little nuisance can do!?" he asked Magnus.

"Besides ruin your plans?" Magnus asked, "No, not really."

Reaper wanted to strangle his subordinate, but instead took his anger out on the cave wall. After a few moments of cracking the earth, Reaper calmed down.

"Have we calmed down now?" Magnus asked as he turned a page in his book.

"While Trevor's presence here is… unexpected, it changes nothing," said Reaper, "And I may know a possible location of another Orb of Power."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The gang and the Hunter, with his avian friend on his shoulder, just arrived at the Fenton Works and were making their way upstairs towards Danny room.

"How did you get your ghost powers?" Danny asked.

"Are you really from the future?" Tucker asked.

"Does Danny still fight ghosts in the future?" Sam asked.

The Hunter was starting to show clears signs of irritation as his eyes began to glow neon green.

"Guys?" Jazz asked, "I think we should let him talk."

Unfortunately, they didn't hear her, and the questions wouldn't stop as they began to overlap each other.

"SHUT UP!" the Hunter shouted.

Everyone went dead silent and backed up a couple of steps.

"Can we first get inside Danny's room _before _you suffocate me with questions?" he asked as he opened the door to Danny's room and entered it.

The others hesitated for a moment.

"Well!? You want answers or not!?" the Hunter yelled, getting their rears into gear.

They all entered the room and Danny closed the door behind them. The Hunter sat down on the floor and everyone sat before him.

"One question at a time," he said calmly, "And only ones _relevant _to this situation."

"Okay," Danny replied, "I guess the first question we should have asked you is… _who _exactly areyou?"

"Finally, an easy question," said the Hunter, "My name is Trevor…"

He showed them the time medallion that was under his shirt.

"… and yes, I am from the future. Twenty-five years from now."

***Caw* *Caw***

"Oh, and this is Dust," said Trevor, introducing the ghost raven.

"Cool pet. Does Polly want a cracker?" Tucker teased.

The black bird looked at Tucker and glared at him.

"Excuse me, _**WHAT DID YOU SAY**_!?" shouted a young female child's voice, _**"I AM NO ONE'S PET**_!"

"AAIIGGH!" Tucker shrieked, "IT TALKS!"

Trevor shook his head as the raven puffed out some of her feathers.

"Yeah, you don't say," he replied, "She's always talked. Just not audibly."

"What do you mean?" Jazz asked.

"Dust and I have a psychic link with each other," Trevor explained, "We communicate with each other using our minds."*****

"Cool!" Danny exclaimed, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Uh, no…" Trevor answered, "It's only between me and her. And it's not something you can teach. Besides, the only reason we have one is because of this medallion."

"Good," said Sam, "I'm not sure how comfortable I would be to hear voices in my head."

"You get used to it," said Trevor, "Next question."

"How did you get your ghost powers?" Jazz asked.

Trevor gave her side-eye.

"Not important," he replied, "Next question?"

"What do you mean it's not important!?" Sam exclaimed.

"Was I speaking Esperanto?" Trevor asked, "No, I wasn't. Next question."

"Can she stop staring at me please?" Tucker asked, pointing at Dust.

"I could," said Dust, "but I won't."

"Trevor?" Tucker pleaded.

"Your problem, not mine."

"Awwww…" Tucker moped.

"Actually…" said Trevor before he glanced over at Dust.

He didn't say anything, but a moment later, Dust flew off his shoulder and phased through the wall. The others raised an eyebrow.

"I told her to look for Reaper," Trevor explained, "Psychic link, remember?"

"Right," said Sam.

"I've got a question," said Tucker, "When you first showed up, Danny was in trouble at Pariah's Keep and we got an anonymous message telling us to help him. The initials were 'L.S.', which were the same ones on your chest when you went ghost. Was that you?"

"Yup," Trevor replied, "Disposable phone. I saw your number in Danny's phone while I was keeping an eye on you guys."

"Okay, but what do those initials stand for?" Tucker asked.

"Can I have some paper and something to write with?" Trevor asked.

"Uh, yeah, sure," said Danny.

He got up and grabbed the requested items from his desk and handed them to Trevor. The young half-ghost began writing something down. When he was finished, he handed the paper to Tucker.

"'_Trevor Logan Spec-tre'_?" he read, "Okay, why did you misspell 'specter'?"

"I didn't," Trevor explained, "My birth name is Logan Spectre, which sounds like 'specter', but the spelling has the 'E' and 'R' swapped. My _legal _name is Trevor Logan Spectre, but I just go by Trevor Logan."

"… what?" Tucker asked, scratching his head.

"He's trying to keep his identity a secret, Tucker," said Sam, "He can't just use his real name as a human _and _as a ghost."

"Oohh, right…" said Tucker, "So, your hero name is Logan Specter, with correct spelling?"

Trevor began to sarcastically clap.

"Bravo, you figured it out," he said, "For the record, call my Trevor when I'm human and Logan or Specter when I'm a ghost. Now can we move on to more _important _questions?"

"So, why are you here, Trevor?" Jazz asked.

"Short answer," said Trevor, "capture Reaper and return to my timeline."

"Uh… some details would be nice," Jazz noted.

"Well… it's a long story," Trevor sighed, "I'm not going to go into too much detail, especially what the future is like in general, but I will tell you everything that is relevant. Okay?"

The others looked at one another and nodded.

"Alright, then," said Trevor, "I come from the year 2030…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**AMITY PARK: YEAR 2030**_

"_Nine months ago, everything was… normal," said Trevor, " Or as close to normal you might call it."_

A sunny afternoon in a futuristic Amity Park. There were floating billboards, floating traffic lights, and flying cars. People were walking around, taking the advanced maglev trains, watching their kids play in the playground or ride their hoverboards. Nearby, Danny Phantom aimed his wrist-mounted Fenton Thermos at a ghost and captured it. The older Phantom looked different than he did twenty-five years ago. He was now a man, well fit, and had longer hair in the front. His suit had been upgraded, now with decals at the ends of his boots and gloves, his chest emblem was now a ghostly green, his suit's torso had white chest and stomach decals with a black line in the middle.******

"_You were everyone's favorite hero," Trevor continued, "But you couldn't have done it without some help."_

The Red Huntress flew over on her hoverboard. The board had remained the same, with some minor detail exception, but the owner made noticeable modifications to her suit. Her advanced red and black suit now had harness that cross-linked over her chest and was connected to a belt around her waist. She also had a white 'DP' logo on her suit, just a few inches to the right, below her neck.***** **She removed her helmet to reveal herself as Valerie. She and Danny looked over and saw an older Tucker waving up to them. He was wearing a light blue hooded jacket with the logo over a long-sleeved white shirt, navy jeans, white shoes, shield glasses, and a Rasta hat.********

"_Even from a less experienced halfa," said Trevor._

"_Halfa?" Jazz asked._

Logan Specter, whose hair was short, flew over and handed Danny his regular sized Fenton Thermos as he gave him his report.

"_You guys met Poindexter?" Trevor asked._

"_That's what he called me also," said Danny, "Never really labeled myself like that."_

"_Well, spend enough time with him and the term will rub off on you," said Trevor, 'By this time, I've had my powers for more than a year. Phantom was still training me, but I was able to handle myself."_

"_Wait… I train you?" Danny asked, "Cool!"_

"_So you __**weren't **__born with your powers then?" Tucker asked._

"_No," Trevor sighed, "And Danny is __**NOT **__my father. Now stop asking about my personal history, that's none of your business!"_

"_So, what happened?" Sam asked, wanting to move along._

Valerie got an alarm and activated her holo-screen on her wrist. There were red blips scattered everywhere.

"_Our worst nightmare…" said Trevor._

Suddenly, ghosts from different directions started flying into Amity Park.

"… _a full-scale ghost invasion."_

The heroes gasped at the sight of all the ghosts as a group of them launched towards them.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_We fought as best we could, but within a week, half the world was controlled by the Overlords."_

Amity Park was no longer a thriving metropolis; it was now a smoldering wasteland of ruins. People were running to escape the ghosts.

"_Overlords?" Danny asked._

"_A group of our worst enemies that allied together to take over the world," Trevor explained._

A large plant vine erupted from the ground and wrapped around a building.

"_Undergrowth…"_

The building was crushed into rubble. As lightning flashed in the sky.

"_Vortex…"_

A green sword began to glow from the darkness within an abandoned building.

"_Fright Knight…"_

Beside him, a purple cloaked magician appeared, his cloak slightly tattered.

"_Magnus…"_

A large ghost wearing a crown appeared between the two.

"_Pariah Dark…"_

Standing before the group was a familiar archenemy.

"_Vlad Plasmius... and others," Trevor growled._

The dark silhouettes of the villains appeared over the ruined cities.

"_Others? You mean all my enemies banded together?" Danny asked._

"_Were it so simple," Trevor sighed, "Only a handful of your enemies were Overlords, and we haven't even discovered all their identities yet."_

"_Is Magnus also from the future?" Sam asked._

"_Yes and no," Trevor replied, "I'm getting there. But I since you brought him up, what do know about him?"_

"_Not much," said Tucker, "He said he was the 'Magician of Black Magic'."_

"_Well, he wasn't lying," said Trevor._

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_What do you mean?" Danny asked._

In the lower chamber located under Pariah's Keep, Magnus was at an alter surrounded in strange purple glowing symbols. His hands were glowing green and shooting lightning at the ground.

"_Do you know what kind of black magic he uses?" Trevor asked._

"_No," Danny answered, "Why?"_

Magnus' red eye stared at the ground as a green skeletal arm reached out of the ground.

"_He's not just a ghost magician," said Trevor, "He's a ghost __**necromancer**__."_

"_You mean… he brings dead things back to life?" Jazz asked._

"_Not exactly," said Trevor, "Magnus is… __**was **__Pariah Dark's royal magician, much like how Fright Knight is his right hand. Magnus was the one who created Pariah Dark's armies long ago, using the souls of the deceased. Don't confuse his magic with the necromancy you've seen in fantasy games and whatnot. And for him to use this magic, he must have either ectoplasm or human souls from graveyards. Or both, as if it wasn't bad enough."_

"_If he can raise an army, why doesn't he just create a new one and command it to attack?" Sam asked._

"_Well, he technically can," Trevor answered, "He can summon a maximum of three minions of his choosing at once, or one large minion, as you've seen. He can create more, but he only has the power to control three at a time. Pariah Dark has the power to command the armies."_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the Ghost Zone, Pariah's army went after other ghosts. Phantom and Specter were fighting them off so they wouldn't exit the Ghost Zone through the Fenton Ghost Portal.

"_As I was saying before, there were others involved in the invasion," Trevor continued, "But none of them were more dangerous than Reaper._

A pair of red ghost rays blasted Danny and Specter. They looked over and saw Reaper holding his double-bladed scythe in his hands. Danny fired a cryokinetic ghost ray at him while Specter fired a blue ghost ray from his hand. Reaper dodged the attacks and charged at the halfas.

"_What makes him so dangerous?" Sam asked, "I mean, we've fought many dangerous ghosts in the past. How is Reaper any different?"_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In the burning ruins of a city, a small group of humans ran for their lives from Reaper. One of them, a teenager, tripped and fell to the ground. He looked over his shoulder and gasped.

"_Because Reaper kills people indiscriminately," Trevor answered._

Reaper floated over the teen and slashed his scythe towards his chest.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_And he's been doing it for __**years**__," Trevor continued, "He's killed more people than the five worst serial killers in history __**combined**__. And I plan on making sure he never takes another life again. You know how many victims that comes out to?"_

Specter looked over as another funeral occurs at the cemetery. He was visibly upset as he turned and look over the entire graveyard.

_No one answered._

"_Over 1,000 victims," said Trevor._

Dozens of fresh graves stood before Specter as his gripped his fists in anger.

"… _what?" Danny asked nervously._

"_You heard me," said Trevor, "And that includes slaughtering humans and destroying ghosts, both for kicks."_

"_Destroy ghosts?" Tucker asked, "You mean like kill them?"_

"_I prefer to use 'destroy' since some ghosts were once alive as humans," Trevor clarified, "Whether or not ghosts are 'alive' has been a long discussion between me and… uh… other acquaintances whose identities I will not disclose for the sake for not altering your timeline any more than it needs to be."_

"_How did Reaper get to the past?" Danny asked._

"_Same way I did," Trevor replied._

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Specter was battling Reaper, alone, through the half-destroyed mall.

"_Three weeks ago, when we were still in our timeline, I had engaged Reaper on my own. Danny had insisted that I wait until he arrived, but I told him that there were people in trouble. I went in got them away from Reaper and fought him off."_

Specter leaned left and right as Reaper attempted to slash him.

"_But I made a horrible mistake that almost cost me my life," said Trevor, "Again."_

Reaper spun around and appeared to slash at Specter, but at the last second crossed his scythe over and slashed the opposite direction.

"_What?" Sam asked._

The blade slashed across Specter and sent him flying into a wall.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Trevor sighed as he got up to his feet and unzipped the top of his jacket.

"I… misread Reaper's attack and…"

He revealed a black scarf around his neck, which he pulled down to reveal a red scar across his throat. Everyone gasped.

"He tagged me good that time," Trevor continued as he readjusted the scarf and zipped his jacket back up, "And it gets even better."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Specter grabbed his throat as he struggled to catch his breath. Reaper reached into his cloak and pulled out a small metal handheld device with two red prongs coming out. Specter fell onto his rear as he tried to back away.

"_With me too distracted by my injury, Reaper then tried to make sure that I didn't survive," Trevor explained, "Ever heard of the Plasmius Maximus?"_

"_You're joking!" Danny exclaimed, "He didn't!"_

"_Well, imagine having almost every one of your ghost abilities short-circuited for three weeks at the worst possible time," said Trevor._

Reaper stood over Specter and jabbed the device at his arm.

"_But I wasn't going to go down that easily," said Trevor._

Specter grabbed Reaper's arm as he was shocked by the device, also shocking Reaper. Red electric sparks appeared around them as their ghost powers were nullified. A light blue ring appeared around Specter and he turned back into human. His clothes were all shredded. Reaper backed away as weakness began to overcome him. As a last attack, Reaper punched the nearby wall, causing the wall and ceiling above to crack. Still holding his neck, Trevor looked up in horror as debris fell on top of him. Dust filled the area as Reaper laughed and flew off. A moment later, some rubble began to move and Trevor pulled himself out. He rubbed his neck, which was now burned.

"_And right there was Reaper's biggest mistake," Trevor explained, "He didn't check to see if I was dead before leaving. I was able to cauterize my wound with what little energy I had remaining. Lucky that I grabbed that psycho; he took some of the shock from the Plasmius Maximus for me, which is why I am still alive. Or, heh, __**half-alive**__."_

Trevor coughed up a little ectoplasm and blood for a moment. He wiped his mouth and slowly made his way towards the exit. He was covered in cuts and bruises and he was exhausted.

"_Did you just make a joke?" Tucker asked._

"_Shut up, Tucker," Trevor responded, "Unfortunately for me, my voice box was severely damaged and I couldn't talk, which is why I sounded like raspy old man lately."_

"_But how did Reaper get here?" Sam asked._

"_I'm getting there, hold on," said Trevor, "So after I pulled myself out of the rubble, Phantom showed up."_

Danny Phantom flew into the mall through a large hole in the ceiling. He looked around and found Trevor limping towards him. Danny held him up and carried him over to the abandoned clothing store. Trevor use hand gestures to tell Danny what happened. Phantom set him down in a secluded section of the store.

"_He told me that he'd be right back with medical supplies," said Trevor, "I was not happy with myself at all."_

Trevor walked over to one of the mannequin displays. Tears filled his eyes as he picked it up ad threw it across the store.

"_But then I realized that Reaper thinks I'm dead," said Trevor, "So I decided to make sure to keep it that way."_

Trevor looked around and grabbed a bunch of clothes off the racks. He also grabbed a pair of red lensed goggles and a black leather jacket.

"_Although I couldn't go ghost, I was lucky enough to still have my healing ability," Trevor continued, "It was much slower than normal, but at least my throat would heal. Eventually. But with nothing else to do but wait, I changed my attire."_

Moments later, Danny arrived with a metal box of medical supplies. He looked around for Trevor and saw him in new clothes; black shirt, dark grey hooded jacket, black scarf, black pants, and a pair of black boots. He saw a torn-up leather jacket and pieces of swim goggles next to Trevor. The young halfa turned around and showed Danny the balaclava he made. He then walked over to a mirror and fogged it up with his breath. With his finger he wrote 'Fenton Works'.

"_But I also needed equipment for me to use," said Trevor, "I still wanted to fight, no matter what. So I asked Phantom to take me to the Fenton Works."_

Phantom and Trevor arrived at the Fenton Works lab. Trevor walked over to the armory and grabbed some items. Inside was a black backpack he grabbed and filled it with a couple of grenades, ammo cartridges with green bullets, another cartridge with ghost-catching nets, and am ammo harness to put the equipment on.

"_Grabbed all the essentials; some of which I can't tell you, but the important one was the rifle you've seen me use; the Fenton Deadshot," said Trevor._

He looked up and grabbed the rifle off the rack. It was made of black and white components and had some green lights on it. Trevor removed the barrel extension and examined it before putting them in the duffel bag that was lying below the weapon rack. He also grabbed the rifle scope nearby and put it inside the duffel bag before zipping it up.

"_What were those green bullets that you were using?" Danny asked, "I'm just wondering because you managed to hit Vin- I mean Reaper with one."_

"… _It's… __***Sigh* **__It's made of the same material that his scythe is made of," Trevor admitted, "Refined ecto-ranium."_

"_Ecto-ranium?" the others asked._

"_It's an extremely rare element that has anti-ghost properties," Trevor explained, "In its natural form, ecto-ranium harms any ghost or half-ghost that comes into contact with it and also prevents them from using their ghost powers. However, it has no effect on them when they are intangible."_

"_I know he said he was too slow, but I'm sure Reaper was intangible when you hit him," said Danny._

"_I said my bullets were made of __**refined **__ecto-ranium," Trevor repeated, "When mixed together with the correct materials, refined ecto-ranium can also harm intangible ghosts and halfas. Which is exactly why I blocked Reapers attack when you turned intangible."_

With everything packed and ready, Trevor pulled down his balaclava, grabbed his bags, and walked over to Danny, who was communicating with someone on his Fenton Phone. Phantom turned to him and told him that Reaper was sighted in the Ghost Zone.

"_Once I was all set up, Phantom told me that Reaper was sighted in the Ghost Zone," Trevor continued, "And he was heading for Clockwork's lair."_

Trevor ran over to the lab computer and quickly copied a bunch of data onto a drive. He looked over an grabbed a Fenton Thermos nearby that had three metal locking clamps to hold down the cap.

"_Phantom and I knew there was only one reason why Reaper would want to attack Clockwork's lair, so I prepared for the worst and downloaded as much information as I could onto a drive."_

Once the data transfer was complete, Trevor pulled the drive and put it in his pocket before he grabbed Danny's hand and they entered the Ghost Zone through the Fenton Ghost Portal.

"_With everything ready, we raced after Reaper."_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At Clockwork's lair, an adult Clockwork was distracted by the ghost skeletons as Reaper snuck around and grabbed the one of the two time medallions hanging on the wall. Clockwork was floating over the destroyed skeletons and changed to his elderly appearance when he turned around and saw Reaper turn the medallion intangible and hid it within his body.**^* **

"_We arrived, but we we're too late," Trevor growled._

Danny and Trevor arrived just as Reaper turned back and laughed as he created a time portal and entered it.

"_Phantom was about to chase after him, but Magnus revealed himself and rebuilt the skeletons."_

Phantom began walking over to the last time medallion, but teleported in front of him, blocking his path. He raised a glowing green hand and the skeletons fused together to form the warrior.

"_Phantom and Clockwork went to work fighting Magnus and the warrior," Trevor continued, "I was about to help them, but I noticed that the portal was beginning to close."_

Trevor looked over at the portal and saw it beginning to shrink. He then saw Danny being held down by the warrior.

"_I knew there was no way Danny would reach the medallion and portal in time, so I took his place."_

The weakened halfa ran through the battle, sliding under Magnus and grabbing the medallion off the wall. He put it on and raced towards the closing portal. Clockwork pressed the stopwatch on his staff and time slowed down around him and Trevor. He grabbed Trevor's arm and gave him a warning.

"_Clockwork, being his usual self, warned me not to alter the past so much that would result in dire consequences," Trevor explained, "And as insurance, he summoned a ghost to be linked with the medallion."_

Clockwork summoned a familiar looking ghost raven.

"_You mean Dust?" Tucker asked._

"_Mm-hm," Trevor replied._

The avian began to glow green and turned into ecto-energy that entered the medallion. Clockwork gave Trevor a last few words before pressing the button on his staff.

"_He told me to do whatever it takes to stop Reaper," said Trevor, "but the way he said it was… cryptic."_

Trevor gave Clockwork side-eye before remembering the portal. The portal was nearly closed; Trevor dashed forwards and dove into the portal just before it closed at the last second.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**NEW YORK CITY: Three Weeks Ago**_

Reaper appeared from the portal and found himself on top of a tall building in New York City. A moment later, the Hunter appeared behind him.

"_Surprise, surprise, I followed Reaper and we were in the past."_

Reaper turned and laughed at the masked figure before flying off the building.

"_He thought I was a simple ghost hunter… heh. As if."_

The Hunter pulled out the rifle parts, put them together, and fired an anti-ghost net at him.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"_For the first couple of days, it was just a simple game of cat and mouse around my home of New York City," said Trevor, "… uh… I shouldn't have mentioned that. Don't ask me anything about that."_

The Hunter ran through the streets of New York City as he chased after Reaper.

"_You're from New York? You don't sound like it," said Tucker._

"_Because I wasn't born in New York," said Trevor, "I moved there later in life. Now stop asking personal questions."_

Reaper flew into an alley, which led to a dead-end, and the Hunter followed.

"_At one point, I thought I had Reaper cornered, since he was still weakened by the effects of the Plasmius Maximus and he couldn't use even the most basic of ghost abilities, like invisibility and intangibility," Trevor explained, "But fate had other plans…"_

At the end of the alley, a ghost portal suddenly appeared. The Hunter's eyes widened as he pulled out the Fenton Thermos and aimed it at the ghost, but it was too late. Dust materialized out of the medallion and flew after the Reaper through the portal.

"_Dust followed him into the Ghost Zone and told me what happened," said Trevor._

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Dust flew through the Ghost Zone and landed on a tree just outside of Pariah Dark's keep. She glanced at the entrance and saw that it was open. She flew inside and saw light coming from an entryway to another chamber. She turned invisible and entered, where she saw Reaper approaching an old spell book. As he reached out to it, Reaper quickly spun around and aimed his scythe at a wall, where Vlad Plasmius revealed himself.

"_What was Vlad doing there?" Jazz asked._

"_Why does that froot loop do anything he does?" Trevor asked._

"_Good point," she replied._

Dust watched as Vlad and Reaper had a brief conversation before Reaper smashed the lock on the book with his scythe. The book flung open and pages began to turn violently. Purple runes appeared around the pedestal the book was on. Suddenly, green ecto-energy poured out of the book and Magnus was awakened.

"_Although Magnus was freed from his prison, he was very untrusting of Reaper."_

Reaper handed the magician a small pendant that had a tiny purple gem.

"_Reaper brought a magical charm with him that the Magnus from my timeline made," Trevor explained, "It holds all of his memories so Reaper can give it to this timeline's Magnus and have him gain those memories."_

Magnus grabbed the pendant and his eye briefly glowed purple. He kneeled before Reaper as his master turned and shook hands with Vlad. Reaper turned to Magnus and the magician casted a spell on Reaper, changing his appearance to Vin. Dust quickly flew out of Pariah's Keep.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Since then, I was able to lure Reaper back to New York and keep him busy," said Trevor, "It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that he took off to Amity Park."

"That's rough," said Sam.

"Yeah, no need to tell me," Trevor replied, rolling his eyes.

***Caw* *Caw***

Dust phased through the wall and landed on Trevor's shoulder.

"Nothing?" Trevor asked, "Just what I wanted to hear. Next you'll tell is that he's destroyed every ghost in the Ghost Zone and that I have the power to poop out rainbows."

Dust glared at him.

"So everything Vin told us was a lie?" Danny asked, "About Florida? And Wulf?"

Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"One: I've never been to Florida," he replied, "Two: What did ol' Skeletor tell you?"

"He told us that Wulf got imprisoned for helping other ghost hunters hunt ghosts in the Ghost Zone," Danny answered.

Trevor started at Danny in disbelief before facepalming.

"Seriously? You believed _that_!?" he exclaimed.

"Well, not really," said Sam, "It sounded very unlike Wulf."

"Well, if you want to know, you should ask Wulf. Or Walker," said Trevor, "You know how idiotic his 'rules' are. As well as the punishments. But Wulf did not do that."

Danny, Tucker, and Sam sighed in relief. Suddenly Sam's eyes widened.

"Wulf!" she exclaimed, "Where is he!?"

"Relax, Sam, he's safe," said Trevor, "He's out in the wild, hopefully away from Walker and Reaper. Don't worry about him, he can take care of himself."

"But what if Walker catches him like he almost did before!?" Sam asked.

"You worry too much," said Trevor, "If he needs help, we'll be there to help him."

"We?" Danny asked.

"Can I ask a question?" Jazz asked, "When did you get your powers back?"

"About twenty minutes after Reaper escaped yesterday."

Everyone stared at Trevor.

"You've been without your powers for three weeks!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Eh," Trevor shrugged, "Give or take a couple of days."

"Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait, hold on a minute!" Danny exclaimed, "You mean to tell me that you _ran _after Reaper in human form!?"

"Yeah…" said Trevor, "Why?"

"… Uh… I… just… _how_!?" Danny asked.

Trevor deadpanned.

"I may be twelve, but that doesn't mean I just sit around and eat donuts when I'm not out patrolling," he explained, "I worked out. A lot."

"_I _can't even run that fast!" Danny exclaimed.

"It's a vigorous work out," said Trevor.

***Ding***

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the yellow Orb.

He tossed it to Danny.

"Ever seen anything like this before?" he asked.

Danny examined the Orb closely for a moment.

"I don't think so, but at the same time it looks… familiar," he answered, "What is this?"

"It's called an Orb of Power, one of six ancient relics from the Ghost Zone, each granting whoever holds it with immense power," Trevor explained, "This one increases the power of a ghost's attack."

"Hm… I do feel a bit stronger," said Danny, "Could we use this to capture Reaper?"

Trevor walked over and grabbed the Orb from Danny.

"Were it so simple," he said, "Danny, I'm trying to keep these things away from Reaper. Luckily, the other five have yet to be found, since they were hidden long ago."

"By who?" Tucker asked.

"Ask Clockwork, he's probably the only one who knows," Trevor replied.

Suddenly, two giant clock arms appeared and spun around in a circle, creating a ghost portal.

"Speak of the ghost, he's summoning me," Trevor muttered, "Come on, follow me."

"Uh… what?" Jazz asked.

"Well, since I need your help catching Reaper now, we might as well all go see Clockwork," said Trevor as he hopped through the portal.

The members of Team Phantom looked at one another before getting up and following Trevor.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

In his lair, Clockwork waited patiently as he watched the portal float in front of him. A moment later, Trevor and Dust arrived, followed by Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz.

"Clockwork," said Trevor, "I was wondering when you were going to summon me."

The ghost of time remained silent as he looked at Trevor.

"Look, I know what you're going to say," said Trevor, "and in my defense… it's not that easy without my powers."

"Didn't I warn you _**not **_to alter the timeline?" he asked as changed into his elderly appearance.

"Ugh… come on!" Trevor exclaimed, "It's not like you're against what I did!"

Jazz tapped Danny on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Is that Clockwork?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he replied, "He's the one that helped me stay on the right path when my evil self from the future came here to try and make sure I turn into him."

Everyone glanced over at the Fenton Thermos that was on the pedestal. It had some dents around it and had a disturbingly familiar face imprinted on it. Danny shuddered at the memory. Sam put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked.

Danny smiled and nodded.

"What's going on here!?" a voice exclaimed.

Everyone turned and saw two cloaked one-eyed green ghosts entering the lair.

"Oh, great," Trevor muttered, "These imbeciles."

The Observants floated over to Clockwork and Trevor.

"What's going on?" Jazz asked.

Danny shrugged.

"Clockwork, explain yourself!" one of the Observants exclaimed.

"This young man is from the future," he explained calmly as he morphed into his child form, "He's here to prevent another of the many futures you all fear."

"Him?" the other asked, pointing at Trevor, "But he's just a mere child!"

"Hey, idiots," Trevor said, snapping his fingers to get their attention, "Get some eyedrops and watch."

A bright blue ring appeared around Trevor and he transformed into Logan Specter. The Observants gasped.

"You sent him here!?" they exclaimed.

"Listen, you can deal with Reaper yourself," said Logan, "Or are you too scared to actually do the dirty work yourself for a change?"

Clockwork smiled at the boy as he morphed into his adult form.

"How dare you! Do you have any idea what you have done!?" one of the Observants asked as he poked Specter's chest.

"No," he growled, "but I know what I'm about to do in a second if you touch me again. Do you prefer the punch in the gut or the dropkick into Pariah's sarcophagus?"

"That's enough, Specter," said Clockwork as he floated between him and the Observants, "Let me handle this."

Logan scoffed and walked over to the group.

"Observants," he muttered, "So worried about not getting their way."

His eyes glanced over to the group and noticed Sam was deep in thought.

"Something on your mind, Manson?" Logan asked.

"Yeah…" she said, "Um… you mentioned that Tucker and Valerie were helping Danny in the future."

"Correct."

"Was I ever… well… I'm there too, right?" she asked.

Logan took a deep breath and sighed.

"Sam, I think I know what I did to alter the timeline.," he replied.

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked.

Specter didn't respond. A moment later, Clockwork beckoned him over as a portal appeared next to the group.

"Wonderful," Logan muttered, "The whining that never ends."

He walked over and began talking to the Observants. Clockwork floated over to the group and morphed into his elderly form.

"Is he in trouble?" Danny asked.

"No," he answered, "but he will need your help in stopping Reaper."

"Couldn't you just return him to his timeline yourself?" Tucker asked.

"He can't get directly involved!" Specter shouted, "It makes the Observants whine like babies! More so than usual!"

"Hm," Clockwork smirked as the Observants started arguing with the halfa again, "The four of you should head back home. Don't worry, Specter will return shortly."

"Okay," said Danny, "But can we trust him?"

"He's saved your lives more times than you think," Clockwork explained as his appearance changed into a child, "He's young, but very capable of completing his task. And maybe you can teach him a thing or two."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"You'll understand in due time," said the master of time as he morphed into his adult form.

Danny smiled and led the gang through the portal. As it closed behind them, Clockwork smiled to himself.

"Everything's the way it's supposed to be."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was evening and Specter still hadn't returned from the Ghost Zone. The Danny was lying on his bed, Sam was sitting next to him, Tucker was scrolling through his PDA, and Jazz was leaning against the wall and staring out the open window.

"What's taking so long?" Danny asked impatiently, "It's been two hours!"

"Maybe he was sent back to his timeline?" Tucker shrugged.

"But Clockwork said-"

Danny stopped talking when two large clock hands appeared in the center of his room and spun around into a portal. A moment later, Specter and Dust exited the portal and it disappeared behind them. The halfa did not look happy.

"Well?" Sam asked, "What happened?"

Specter turned back into human form and sighed.

"You guys want the good news or the bad news first?" he asked.

"Uh, good?" Jazz asked.

"Well, after much debate, I was able to convince both Clockwork and the Observants to have you guys help me capture Reaper," Trevor announced, "Of course, you guys don't have to help, since it's my problem."

"Are you kidding? Of course we'll help!" Danny exclaimed as he sat up and got out of bed, "Right, guys?"

"Right!" Tucker and Sam exclaimed at the same time.

"Hmm," said Jazz, "I do have to leave for college soon. But I'll help as much as I can until then!"

Trevor sighed.

"What?" Danny asked.

"No offense, Phantom, but when I say 'help', I mean in terms of looking for Reaper," said Trevor, "Not fight him."

"Why not!?" Danny asked.

"Well, in case you fell asleep during my horror story, Reaper _**will kill you**_," said Trevor.

"So has almost every other ghost I've fought," Danny remarked.

"Hmm…" Trevor groaned as he crossed his arms and glanced away.

Dust turned to him.

"Dust, he hasn't even noticed yet," Trevor told her, "I should just deal with it now before we go off and look for Reaper again."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked.

"Remember that test earlier?" Trevor asked, "You're still taking it."

Danny raised an eyebrow and stared for a moment. He then pulled out his Fenton Thermos and saw some green wax dripping off of it.

"Gee, I wonder where Wick is," said Trevor.

"_**PHANTOOOOOOOM**_!" a water voice shouted.

Everyone looked outside and saw a larger Wick making his way towards the Fenton Works.

"Last chance, Phantom," said Trevor, "If you can defeat Wick in less than two minutes, _then _I'll consider having you fight him with me."

There was a pause for a moment.

"Remember when I said 'we' would help Wulf?" Trevor asked, "Show me what the protector of Amity Park can do."

Danny glanced at the Thermos and grabbed it. A white ring appeared around him as he jumped through the open window. Phantom flew straight at Wick, who saw his foe coming towards him. The wax ghost created a large ball of wax in his hands and threw it at Danny.

"_You can't delay your attacks!" _Trevor's words echoed in his head,_ "He's only vulnerable against extreme temperatures, but his wax quickly returns to room temperature!"_

Danny brought his hands together and fired a powerful icy ghost ray at the large object. Ice encased the entire ball of wax and hardened it. Danny then grabbed it, swung it around, and threw it back at Wick.

"Huh?" Wick exclaimed as it came flying towards him.

He brought up his arms and transformed them into a large wax shield. The projectile slammed into the shield and shattered into dozens of ice fragments. Wick lowered his arms and glared at where Danny was seen, but Phantom wasn't there. Wick looked around for a second before looking down and saw a hole in his body.

"Aw, crud," he moaned.

A second later, Wick's wax began hardening from the inside out. His torso, followed by his head, arms, and legs hardened and had frost develop around them. Suddenly, his body shattered into multiple pieces, leaving only Wick's true form and a blue-eyed Phantom floating in the air.

"Uh… mercy?" Wick asked nervously.

"Nope," Danny smirked as he pulled out his Fenton Thermos and captured Wick with it.

As soon as that happened, all the wax transformed into various candles.

"Who would have thought Amity Park had _this _many candles," Danny quipped to himself before flying back to the Fenton Works.

He phased through the wall and turned tangible as he landed on the ground. As he changed back into his human form, Danny tossed the Fenton Thermos to Trevor.

"Not bad," he commented, "But you didn't beat him in less than two minutes."

Danny glared at Trevor.

"You beat him in less than one," Trevor announced, with a small smirk.

"I… did!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Yep," said Dust.

Trevor looked at the Thermos in his hand and examined both ends.

"Might want to remember to return him to the Ghost Zone this time, huh?" he asked as he handed to Thermos back to Danny.

"Yeah, I should have done that before," he said, rubbing the back of his head, "By the way, where's that Orb?"

Trevor reached into his pocket and pulled out the Orb.

"I'm holding on to it for now," he said, "Last thing I want is for Reaper to have it, or anyone abusing its power."

"And we should trust you?" Jazz asked, "I mean, no offense, but you could use it too, right?"

"True, but lucky for us, that's Dust's job," said Trevor, "Clockwork assigned her to me so she can make sure I don't abuse the medallion's power. She'll do the same with the Orbs."

"If you say so," said Jazz.

Trevor glanced over at her.

"I know that tone," he said, "You don't trust me, do you?"

Jazz bit her lower lip. Trevor smirked.

"Just so we're clear, I'm not here to make friends," he said, "I'm here to capture Reaper and return to our timeline. No more, no less."

A long silence fell upon the room.

"You know, it's getting pretty late," said Tucker, "I think we should get some rest. All this is pretty overwhelming."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Sam.

"I don't blame you," Trevor yawned, stretching his arms out.

"That includes you as well, Trevor," said Dust, "You've been awake for five days straight. You need to sleep."

"_**FIVE DAYS**_!?" everyone exclaimed.

"I've stayed up longer," said Trevor, "Dust, we need to look for Reaper tonight and-"

"Uh-uh!" said Dust, "You need to sleep! You're still recovering from your injury and you haven't fully regained your ghost powers yet!"

"… Fine," Trevor groaned.

"Do you even have a place to stay?" Danny asked.

"I've been sleeping on various rooftops of buildings," said Trevor, "Including here a few times."

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, "How come I my ghost sense never… oh, right, no powers."

"Good save," said Trevor, "It's fine, I can just sleep in the Command Center or-"

"My place has plenty of guest rooms," said Sam, "You could stay there for the time being."

Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"What about your parents?" Danny asked, "Won't they find it strange for you to bring home some random kid into your house just for him to have a place to sleep?"

"Eh, they're out of town for the next couple of weeks," said Sam, "We'll worry about that later."

She turned to Trevor and Dust.

"Well?" she asked.

"I supposed a comfortable bed would be nice for once," said Trevor, "Alright, Manson, I accept your offer."

He turned to face everyone.

"You guys sure about helping me?" Trevor asked, "Reaper is not a ghost you want to underestimate."

"We're sure," said Danny.

Trevor walked over to Danny's bed and knelt down.

"Alright," he said, "But first…"

Trevor reached under the bed and pulled out his backpack and duffle bag from underneath.

"How long have those been under there?" Danny asked.

"Since an hour after our first encounter," said Trevor, "What better place to hide my stuff?"

He opened his backpack and pulled out some thick files.

"Here," he said as he gave everyone a file, "Everything you need to know about Reaper. Made copies earlier."

Danny opened the file and saw that it was a dossier on Reaper. The first thing he noticed was that the first page had a whole paragraph redacted. He combed through the pages and found that it was only the first page with any redaction, with the exception of a couple of words here and there.

"What's with the blacked-out paragraph?" he asked.

"It's not relevant information," Trevor replied.

"Does it involve you?" Danny asked.

"If I say 'yes', would you ask for details?" Trevor asked, "Because I wouldn't tell you either way."

"This is… a lot of information," said Tucker, "Couldn't you have given us digital copies?"

"Tucker, I spent an hour reprograming a printer at the high school just to be compatible with my flash drive," said Trevor, "You think I'm gonna waste more time reprogramming a whole operating system or type out this entire folder just for your convenience?"

"Um… yes?" Tucker smiled.

"Keep dreaming, Foley," Trevor scoffed, "And if you're wondering what all the other redactions are, those are names of individuals you have yet to encounter."

"I think I'll read this tomorrow," said Sam, "If I start now, I'll never sleep."

"Welcome to my life," said Trevor.

"Come on, Trevor," said Sam as she got up and headed for the door, "Let's get you settled in."

"Alright, Manson," said Trevor before turning to Danny, "We'll all talk more tomorrow."

"I bet we will," Danny replied as he looked through the file.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, Sam, Trevor, and Dust arrived at her house. They were upstairs, in the hallway. Sam opened a door to one of the guest rooms.

"You can stay here for now," she said, allowing Trevor and Dust entry.

He walked inside as Sam turned the lights on and looked around.

"This is a guest room?" Trevor asked, "This looks like a master bedroom."

"Yeah, well, my family is rich," Sam explained nervously.

"Wait, hold on," said Trevor, "You mean to tell me that you are a Jewish goth from a rich family, who happens to also be an ultra-recyclo vegetarian**^**** with a green thumb?"

"Yeah," said Sam, "Why?"

"That's… _awesome_," said Trevor, "If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would have thought you were lying. Or trying to compete in a 'most random statement' contest."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"It was a compliment."

"Uh, thanks?" said Sam, "Anyways, I hope this room will suffice. I'm sure in the future, bedrooms are more advanced and better looking."

"Eh, not really," said Trevor, "To me, this room looks normal. Doesn't have all the tech and false windows."

"Well, make yourself at home," said Sam, "I'll be in my room, which is across from this one. Just ask me if you need anything."

"There is one thing, Sam," said Trevor, making her stop at the door.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Why did you invite me to stay here?" he asked.

"Well, you needed to place to stay, and my place has plenty of space, so I figured why not?" she answered.

Trevor sighed.

"Sam, I don't like having my time wasted, and I don't like people beating around the bush, so I'll ask again," he said, "Why did you _really _ask me here?"

Sam's face fell and she walked over to him.

"You never told us the bad news," she said, "And I'm starting to figure out how you altered the timeline already."

"Well, there were actually two pieces of bad news," said Trevor, "First, I didn't get to drop kick or punch the Observants, much to my dismay."

"Very funny" Sam smirked, "And the other?"

Trevor looked away for a moment.

"You can tell her," said Dust.

"I know," he said before facing Sam, "When Vlad kidnapped you a few days ago… I don't think you were supposed to be… saved."

Sam took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

"That's what I thought as well," she said.

"It makes sense," said Trevor, "Phantom never told me about you. Heck, _no one _in the future told me about you. They've mentioned an old friend once in a while, but never your name. I think Phantom's been feeling guilty about… whatever did happen."

Sam nervously kicked the floor.

"But you're here," said Trevor, "Don't think too much about it. Like Clockwork once told me, most people see time as a parade; one thing after another, passing in order in one direction. The way he sees it is from above; all the twists and turns that it might, might have, or might not take."

"And what twists did he see after you saved me?" Sam asked.

"Don't know, don't really care," said Trevor, "As long as Reaper doesn't kill anyone and I capture him, what does it matter?"

Sam tapped her chin and pondered for a moment.

"You're right, Trevor," she said, "And thanks for saving us. It doesn't matter what should or shouldn't have happened. I'm here and that's good enough for me."

"Is it?" Trevor asked.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Are you and Danny dating?" he asked, "I've been watching you guys for quite some time and you two seem to be more than just friends."

Sam deadpanned.

"Goodnight," she said as she turned and walked towards the door, "We're just good friends, that's all we are."

She walked out and closed the door behind herself. Trevor and Dust glanced at each other.

"Clueless," they said.

Trevor turned to the bed and dropped his bags on the ground. Dust noticed that he had a sympathetic look on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothin'," Trevor replied, "Just feel bad for Danny. _Our _timeline's Danny."

"Well, we can't change that," she said, "We've got a job to do and we need to rest up."

Trevor nodded as he used his hand to carry Dust to the dresser next to the bed and have her stand on it while he took off his jacket.

"What do you think, Dust?" Trevor asked, "Think we've got a chance?"

"With this team?" she asked, "I think your chances have improved since our talk with Clockwork."

"Well…" said Trevor as he brushed his hair back, "Only time will tell. I just hope Reaper doesn't find the other Orbs. Or else we are all done for."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Outside of Amity Park, a freight train rolled across a trestle, over a large ravine and river below. Along the shore of the water laid a red cane with a bat on top. Reaper leaned over and grabbed it.

"Well, here's the catalyst," he said, "Now, where's…"

His red eyes scanned the ground for a moment and found a strange red piece of glass.

"Found you," Reaper smirked.

He reached out and picked up the shard. He examined it closely before filling the area with an evil laugh.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Yes, I'm taking a page out of Butch Hartman's books and including a psychic link, only instead of Danny and Sam, it's Trevor and Dust. One of the early concepts for the show was for Danny and Sam to have a psychic link with each other. The idea was dropped ultimately dropped because Hartman felt that it made the relationship between Danny and Sam too developed. For future reference, Danny and Sam will not have a psychic link. Don't cry, there are plenty of other fanfics that gave them psychic links!**

**** Have you guys ever heard of the Amethyst-Ocean on DeviantArt? Go look up her. Her Danny Phantom artwork is… let's just say that if the designers of Danny Phantom were God, she's Jesus. She's **_**THAT **_**good. Specifically look for her "Danny Phantom 10 Years Later" submission. And yes, I'm plugging her name because she deserves recognition. And yes, I'm going to implement some of her designs, but not all of them. And yes, I know **_**that **_**design of Danny was made by Butch Hartman, and yes, I know that's supposed to be Danny "10 years later", but just age him a little more and we're good.**

**NOTE TO AMETHYST-OCEAN: Team up with Butch Hartman and steal those rights to Danny Phantom from Nick. You two would make INCREDIBLE works. And if you need a storyboard writer… well, I'm just sayin'… I know a guy. *Cough-Cough* And please don't kill me for using your designs; they're too damn good for me to compete against.**

***** Combination of Valerie's suit design in "The Ultimate Enemy" and her current advanced suit.**

****** Tucker has the same design in the art mentioned above.**

**^ According to Wikipedia. Look up at your own risk. I refuse to change the story's rating. Got a problem with that? Sue me.**

**^* Much like how Dan did the same thing to Danny in "The Ultimate Enemy".**

**^** Sam told Danny and Tucker this in the first episode, "Mystery Meat". As Danny explained it to Tucker, she doesn't eat anything with a face on it. For future reference, since her family practices Judaism, assume that she eats food that is kosher. For those of you who don't know what the definition of kosher is, it means any food that is allowed for consumption according to Jewish law ( **_**halakha **_**). (Since this was uploaded on a Friday night, to those who are Jewish, **_**Shabbat Shalom. **_**NOTE: I'm not Jewish myself, but if this offended you, I apologize; just trying to show some respect. If it's inappropriate, then I'll remove it in an update.)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Fun Fact: Clockwork was voiced by the late David Carradine, known for playing martial arts roles in film and television, including **_**Kung Fu **_**and **_**Kill Bill**_**.**

**Fun Fact: Dust's name and appearance are references to Death's guide in **_**Darksiders 2**_**. Originally, I was going to name her Talon and be a ghost hawk, but after some thought I decided to stick with a more fitting animal, like a raven. I then changed the name to Dust as a place holder until I could come up with a different name, but I decided to stick with it. Ironically, instead of helping the Reaper, like in **_**Darksiders 2**_**, Dust is helping the gang to stop him.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**What an episode, am I right!? We're getting closer and closer to the end of the season! What will happen!?**

… **Well, obviously, **_**I **_**know what's going to happen, but you don't! Don't worry, there's plenty more I have in store for all of you.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	7. Episode 58: Looks and Brains

**Welcome back, phans!**

**Thank you, everyone for checking out my story and for all the support! As of now, this story has reached over 1,000 views- well, actually 1,200 views… which doesn't really mean much, since the visitor count is much lower. But it's a milestone. Yeah… woo.**

**Oh, and SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta? What makes you think Trevor was supposed to be a typical twelve-year-old? Besides the fact that he's from the future and he's a halfa. You think I'm just gonna tell you everything about his past in just one episode?**

… **the answer's NO.**

**Ver. 1.0.0 (7/26/19)**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom, even after my attempts to disguise myself as the head of Nickelodeon have failed. Look, we all want the show to return and have more seasons, I'm tryin', alright!? It was either that or do something more drastic, but I think I would never see the light of day again if I tried that. Okay, let's start the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The sun burned through the midmorning sky as Sam began to wake up in the darkness of her room. She sat up and stretched as she yawned. She was got out of bed and rubbed her eyes as she left her room and headed into the bathroom. The sound of a shower could be heard for a moment before steam started to sneak out from under the door. Another moment later, Sam came out in a bathrobe and went back into her room. Another moment later, she came out in her usual clothes.

"Hmm," she said as she pulled on her tank top, "Probably should get new clothes soon."

She glanced over to Trevor's room and knocked on the door.

"Trevor?" she called, "You in there?"

No response. She opened the door and peaked inside.

"Trevor? Dust?"

She looked around and didn't see the ghost or half-ghost inside. She walked up to the bed and saw a note.

"Another meeting with Clockwork. I'll meet you and the others soon. -LS," she read aloud, "Hope he's not in trouble again.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

An hour later, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were walking around the neighborhood. Tucker was reading through the file.

"So, where are we going?" Danny asked his friends.

"I dunno," said Tucker, "I'm just following you guys."

"I was doing the same thing," said Sam.

The three teens stopped and looked at one another before they started laughing.

"What a way to start a summer day," Danny sighed.

"Hey, where's Jazz?" Sam asked.

"She's sleeping in," said Danny.

"That's a first," said Tucker.

"She was up late last night reading the file Trevor gave us yesterday," Danny explained, "I told her not to push herself since she's leaving in a couple of weeks."

"Oh, that's right!" Sam exclaimed, "Jazz is moving away for college."

"Where's she going again?" Tucker asked.

"Some top university in California," said Danny, "She must be thrilled to finally be living independently."

"Aren't you going to miss her?" Sam asked.

"Of course I'm going to miss her!" Danny exclaimed, "She's my sister!"

"Hmm…" Tucker pondered.

"Find something, Tucker?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," he replied, "I've been scanning through the pages and I've noticed that Trevor has had more encounters with Reaper than any other person in this file."

"So?" Danny asked.

"Doesn't that sound a bit strange to you?" Tucker asked, "He's had his powers for only a couple of years and he's already fought Reaper more times than you've fought Vlad."

"That does sound a bit strange," said Sam as she tapped her chin.

Suddenly, a pair of large clock hands appeared in front of the group and spun around into a swirling green ghost portal. Trevor and Dust stepped from the portal and it closed behind them. The halfa did not look happy.

"Hey, Trevor," said Danny, "How did the meeting go?"

Trevor groaned as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well, after talking with Clockwork and Idiots #1 and #2, I ended up with an ultimatum," he said, "I have two weeks to capture Reaper and return to my own timeline."

"Or else what?" Danny asked.

"Or else they'll force me to return to my timeline, even if Reaper isn't captured."

The gang stared in disbelief at Trevor.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: Looks and Brains (Episode 58)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The gang was now at the Nasty Burger. Danny and Tucker were eating burgers, Sam was eating a salad, and Trevor was drinking water.

"That's crazy," said Sam, "The Observants can't make you do that! Can they?"

"I argued that since I'm from the future, they had no authority over me," said Trevor, "They don't care. It's still better than the one week they gave me yesterday."

The others' eyes widened as they stared at him.

"…which I forgot to tell you yesterday," Trevor realized, "My bad."

"So if we don't capture Reaper in two weeks, they'll leave the problem to us?" Danny asked.

"Apparently," Trevor muttered, "They don't have a clue what they're doing."

"What did Clockwork say?" Tucker asked.

"Before or after I punched the idiots?" Trevor asked.

"Uh, after," Tucker smirked.

"He told me not to do that again," Trevor answered, "And then he told me how proud he was of me. In all seriousness, he told me to not worry about it and to just focus on looking for Reaper."

"We should get started then," said Danny as he crumpled the wrapper and tossed it into the trash bin, "What should we do?"

"First thing we do is go back to the last place we saw him," said Trevor as he finished his drink and tossed the cup over his shoulder and into the same trash bin, "Hopefully there's something at the park that will help lead us to Reaper."

"Exactly what is Reaper's plan?" Sam asked.

"… He wants to begin the war," Trevor said softly, "And kill Danny Phantom."

Danny's eyes widened.

"And me," Trevor concluded.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at the Fenton Works, Maddie was down in the labs looking at a whiteboard covered in equations and ghost drawings.

"Maddie!" Jack exclaimed as he ran downstairs, "I have amazing news!"

She looked over as Jack ran up to her with a flyer in his hand.

"Vlad's hosting a 'Ghost Hunter's Technology Convention' tomorrow and he's invited us to be a part of it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful!" said Maddie, "What will we be doing there?"

"We, and other ghost hunting groups, will be showcasing their latest anti=ghost weapons and devices," Jack explained, "I was thinking we show off the Fenton Ecto-Energy Collector and the Fenton Ghost Chiller."

"That's a great idea," said Maddie, "Let's take a look inside the vault and see what other weapons we should bring."

Jack placed the flyer on the table and the two Fentons went into the vault and began browsing their armory. They didn't notice the Fenton Ghost Portal opening and Technus 2.0 entering.

"Ah, free once again!" he exclaimed as he looked around the lab, "Hm? What's this?"

He reached over and grabbed the flyer off the table.

"A ghost hunting convention? With anti-ghost technology?" he asked before smirking, "This just might be the break I need to take over the world!"

Technus laughed as he turned intangible and flew out of the lab. Jack poked his head out of the vault and looked around. He didn't see anything and shrugged.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was high noon when Danny and the gang walked out of the park.

"Nothing," Trevor sighed, "What a waste of time."

"Sorry we couldn't find anything, Trevor," said Sam.

"Well, thanks for trying," said Trevor.

"Hey, since we have nothing to do now, why don't we check out the electronics store?" Tucker suggested, "I read that they're having a sale on a bunch of stuff."

Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Now that you mention it, Tucker, shopping wouldn't be a bad idea," said Sam, "I could use some new clothes."

"Same here," said Danny.

Trevor looked at the three in sheer disbelief.

"Are you kidding me!?" he exclaimed, "We're _all of you_ sleeping through my story yesterday!? If not, let me make it perfectly clear; _Reaper… __**kills**__… __**people.**_"

"Dude, you need to take a chill pill," said Tucker, "It's not like I'm ignoring the threat, but what can we do right now?"

"Search every inch of the planet," Trevor replied flatly.

"He does have a point, Trevor," said Dust.

The halfa glared at her.

"And you could use a cellphone," said Sam, "No need to leave us handwritten notes. I don't mind paying. And don't you feel uncomfortable in those clothes?"

Trevor stared at them with his hands out.

"Ho, pro la amo de…" Trevor muttered in Esperanto.

**(Oh, for the love of…)**

"Fine," he sighed, "Let's just make this quick. But after I get a cellphone, I'm going out to look for Reaper."

"Woo!" Tucker cheered, "Follow me!"

Trevor rolled his eyes as he and the others followed Tucker.

"_Dust," _he said psychically, _"Head for the Fenton Works. If Jazz is awake, tell her to research everything she can on the Orbs of Power. If she's still sleeping, let her rest."_

"_On it," _Dust replied and took to the skies.

"Where's she going?" Sam asked.

"To have Jazz look into the Orbs of Power," Trevor replied, "Might as well have _someone _doing something productive."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the electronics store, the place was packed with people who wanted in on the sale. Technus flew inside and looked around.

"Ah, technology," he sighed, "And it's all for me."

He turned invisible and disappeared further into the store. A moment later, the gang showed up.

"Wow, this place is busy," said Tucker, "We better hurry before all the good stuff is all gone."

He hurried over to one of the aisles and found the latest PDAs.

"Heaven," he sighed as the others stared at him.

"Please tell me he's not like this in the future," Danny begged.

"Sorry, no spoilers," said Trevor as he walked over to another aisle and glanced around.

Danny and Sam followed him.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Danny asked Trevor.

"I think you just did, but sure," Trevor replied.

"Good joke," said Danny, "I was wondering, you said you got your powers back shortly after Reaper escaped, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how were you able to run so fast when you first showed up?" Danny asked, "And how were you able to rip the mailboxes from the ground? You couldn't have possibly done that in your human form."

Trevor combed through the cellphones on the shelf and stayed silent for a moment.

"You know how ghosts and halfas in their ghost form have supernatural strength and stamina*****?" he asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied.

"When a halfa is in human form, they have the same strength and stamina as they would if they were just human," Trevor explained, "However, even in human form, we can channel some of my stored ecto-energy from within and charge my body to temporarily enhance my strength or speed. We even do it without knowing it sometimes."

"How?" Tucker asked, "Danny's never been that strong or fast as a normal human… uh, no offense, Danny."

Danny glared at Tucker.

"You ever seen his eyes glow green when he's not a ghost?" Trevor asked as he brushed some hair out of his face, "Same principle."

"You mentioned that you can only enhance your strength _or _speed," said Danny, "You can't do both at the same time?"

"I could, with more training," said Trevor, "It's very difficult to pull off, even when mastered. In the future, you actually taught me how to do so."

"Could you teach me now?" Danny asked.

"Heh, the teacher and the student swap roles," Tucker joked.

"I could," said Trevor as he grabbed a cellphone off the shelf, "If we had the time to do so. I think our time is better spent looking for the mass murdering ghost rather than train for a useless skill."

He tossed the device to Sam.

"This one good?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah, this will work," said Sam.

"Then why learn it?" Danny asked.

"Same reason why I lost my powers," Trevor answered, "I'm just lucky it wasn't the older model of the Maximus. Otherwise I would have died."

"How long does the enhancement last?" Sam asked.

"At most, about fifteen minutes," Trevor answered, "It's very draining, especially for me since I was still healing from my wound. But at least I'm able to run at speeds up to about fifty miles an hour. If I had my powers, flying would have been a better choice. Heh, actually, just going ghost would have been better."

"I thought the Plasmius Maximus made all ghost abilities nonfunctional for a certain period of time," said Danny.

"The one you're familiar with, yes," Trevor explained, "In the future, Vlad improved the design, but at a cost. It short-circuits our powers, but the effects begin to linger after a week. For me, I was lucky to still have my healing factor at the time. After that, my other abilities started to slowly return, including my enhanced senses and my ability to store ecto-energy. Since the device at this point in time is in full effect for three hours, there's no point in teaching you."

"And any other time, I could just go ghost and use my abilities at their fullest," said Danny.

"Exactly," said Trevor.

"Enhanced senses?" Tucker asked, "Like x-ray vision?"

"No, not supervision or super-hearing," said Trevor, "In ghost form, I have better vision and more accurate hearing. Basically, I can see and hear things from farther distances than other people."

"So, those blue ghost rays when we had our run-in with Vlad…" said Sam, "Was that you?"

"Yup," said Trevor, "Remember my rifle? The Deadshot? It was designed to fire bullets and ghost rays. I would charge the rifle with a small amount of my ecto-energy and it would amplify it to be much more powerful. But not too powerful so that the gun overheats and explodes."

"And what was that electricity-looking one?" Danny asked.

"Electrokinesis."

"You can control lightning?" Danny asked.

"Do I look like Vortex?" Trevor asked, "No, it's the ability to generate, absorb, and/or control electricity. Lightning is weather related. I can't pull a Zeus and throw bolts of lightning."

He looked at Tucker and saw that he had his arms full of PDAs, a laptop, and a cellphone.

"You think that's enough!?" Trevor exclaimed.

"Don't judge me," said Tucker.

"Whatever," said Trevor, "Let's just get in line and get out of here. I have a mission to complete and I think we've wasted enough time."

Danny raised an eyebrow. Trevor noticed him looking at him.

"What?" Trevor asked.

"You know, you don't act like a typical twelve-year-old," said Danny.

"How should I act?" Trevor asked, "You want me to smile? Throw a football? Eat ice cream until I throw up? Pretend everything is all hunky-dory and that there isn't a war going on in my timeline?"

"Sure," said Danny, "Except for that last one."

"I'm not here for fun, remember?" Trevor asked sternly, "We capture Reaper, I take him back to our timeline, we continue on with our lives and forget we ever met."

"Jeez, sorry," said Danny, "What happened that turned you into such a killjoy?"

Trevor glanced away from the group as Tucker gave the stuff to the cashier.

"Reaper," Trevor muttered.

"Sounds like this mission of yours is more personal to you then you've made it out to be," said Sam as she paid for the cellphone.

He didn't respond.

"It is personal, isn't it?" she asked.

Trevor didn't even look at them.

"Let's just say that what Reaper did has made it my mission to catch him and bring him to justice and leave it at that," he said as he grabbed his cellphone from the bag and shoved it in his pocket.

Danny walked over and turned Trevor around by his shoulders so he could look him in the eyes.

"If this is personal, I think we have a right to know why that is," said Danny, "We can't work well together if we can't trust each other and I need to know if this will affect your mission."

Trevor glared at Danny.

"I need a better reason than _that _to tell you anything personal," he told him, "Don't try and be my friend. It'll make things a lot easier when I go back to my timeline."

"Are you telling that to us? Or to yourself?" Danny asked.

Trevor brushed Danny's hands off him and scoffed. At that moment, Danny gasped and his ghost sense went off.

"Impeccable timing," Trevor noted.

People started screaming in the store. The gang turned around and saw a large mechanical body made of various devices hulking around the store.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Technus laughed, "So much technology! And this armor is so smooth!"

"Crud," Trevor moaned, "I was really hoping it would be anyone but Technus."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Believe it or not, Manson, my electrokinesis is a double-edged sword," Trevor explained, "I'm immune to electrical attacks, but mine do nothing to other ghosts with electrokinesis."

People continued to scream as they abandoned the store and poured into the streets. Technus continued to use his technopathy****** to build his battle suit. The suit appeared to be a basic framework of a robot; large upper torso, thin arms, large fists, and no legs. As more devices flew towards the growing suit, Tucker's new PDAs went off as well and connected to the robot's chest.

"My babies!" Tucker cried as he fell to his knees, "You monster!"

"I'm going ghost!" Danny exclaimed as he held his arms up.

"Oh, jeez, he's been saying that his whole life?" Trevor asked/

A white ring appeared around Danny and a bright blue ring appeared around Trevor and they transformed into their ghost forms. The two halfas launched into the air and flew towards Technus.

"Hey! Gilbert Gottfried!*******" Specter shouted, "I rescued your sorry butt and you couldn't last more than thirty-six hours before you began causing trouble again!?"

"Eh?" Technus muttered as he looked over to the halfas, "Ah! Ghost child! And… ghost child? There's another one!?"

"There's only one child here," said Specter, "I'll let you decide who it is."

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed.

"Not you, Phantom!" Logan snapped, "Why did Reaper have to go into the past?"

"To me, you are both children," said Technus as he overshadowed his new suit, "And you need to be put in your place!"

"Really?" said Danny, "If we're children, then you're a dinosaur!"

Phantom flew forward and punched Technus in the face.

***WAM***

The technopath crashed into a shelf that held many widescreen TVs. He looked around and smiled when he saw the latest computer operating systems.

"Just what I need," he smirked.

Danny and Logan noticed too late as Technus began to download updates and programs from the computers. Specter concentrated for a moment before his eyes widened.

"Darn!" he exclaimed, getting Danny's attention, "I'm still not fully recovered. I can't duplicate myself!"

"What?" Danny asked.

"Not now, Phantom; focus on Technus!" Logan shouted as he dashed towards Technus.

The ghost saw Specter flying towards him and fired an electrified blue ghost ray at the halfa. But when it hit Specter, he just absorbed the attack.

"What the-!?"

***WAM***

Specter punched Technus in the face and sent him flying into the computers.

"I hope no one ordered those computers online," he muttered.

Danny flew over to Logan.

"I see what you mean about electrokinesis not affecting you," he said, "I take it that you'll not use it against him?"

"Obviously," Trevor replied flatly.

Technus began laughing as he floated back into the air, getting the halfas' attention. They noticed that Technus had two metal claw-tentacles coming out of his back.

"How much data did he download in that short amount of time!?" Logan exclaimed.

"You can thank your tech-friend for that," Technus told him as he pointed to the PDAs on his chest.

Logan glared at Tucker.

"What!?" Tucker explained, "So the latest models have the fastest downloading capabilities in the world? Big deal! If it was any other ghost, you wouldn't be blaming me!"

"Rrrgghh…" Specter moaned as he rubbed his forehead.

"What's wrong, child?" Technus teased, "Can't handle a dinosaur like me in your timeline?"

"Wait, how does he know that?" Sam asked.

"Practically every ghost from the Ghost Zone was in the Thermos and they overheard everything said when we fought Reaper the other day," Specter explained, "Basically, they all know I'm from the future."

"That's nice to know," said Danny, "But, won't that make you a target or some-WHOA!"

Phantom was grabbed by the throat by one of the metal claws and thrown across the room. He crashed into multiple shelves and got covered in heavy boxes.

"Phantom!" Logan shouted, "You okay!?"

"I'm fine," Danny groaned as he phased through the mess.

Specter turned back to Technus and glared at him.

"Eat this," he growled as he aimed his hands forward and dark green flames erupted from them.

A moment later, the flames fizzled out.

"Huh?" Technus exclaimed with a raised eyebrow.

Logan took a deep breath and sighed loudly.

"I… _hate _my life, sometimes…" he muttered before firing a powerful blue ghost ray at Technus.

Technus smiled as he activated a blue ghost shield around himself and deflected the ghost ray back at Specter.

"Of course," he muttered as he turned intangible and avoided the attack.

"You know, for someone from the future, you are pretty disappointing," said Technus.

"Coming from the ghost who's so insecure about his abilities that he relies on technology to do the work for him," said Logan as he turned tangible and flew towards the ghost.

"Heh," Technus smirked.

***CLANG***

With blinding speed, one of the claws slapped Logan away and sent him flying across the store. His body tumbled through the air and his head hit a ceiling beam, knocking him out. His limp body reverted back to human as he fell to the ground. A flash drive fell out of his pocket during the fall and landed between him and Technus.

"Specter!" Danny shouted as Tucker and Sam rushed to the halfa's side.

Phantom glared at Technus as the ghost reached over and grabbed the drive.

"Ooh, what's this?" Technus asked excitedly as he inserted it into a port on his arm, "Technology from the future? Even better than the convention I was planning to crash tomorrow- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The moment Technus attempted to access the drive, a massive shock coursed through his body.

"Virus! Virus! VIRUS!" Technus screamed as he ripped the drive out and threw it at Trevor's unconscious body.

Tucker reached out and caught the drive.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed.

Technus growled as he approached the group. Danny flew over and stood over his friends.

"What, think you still have a chance, ghost child?" Technus asked.

"Better than the chances your suit has against _this_," Danny remarked.

***Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO~***

Danny unleashed his powerful Ghostly Wail at Technus. Tucker and Sam covered their ears as the store shook around them. Technus tried to stand his ground, but the attack was too much on the hardware and his battle suit began to come apart.

"N-no!" he exclaimed before being flung back against the wall and his armor crumbled into a pile of devices.

Danny stopped wailing and leaned against his knees as his head reverted back to human.

"Man, I really need to learn how to not drain myself so much every time I use this," he said.

"Bah!" Technus exclaimed, "This isn't over yet, child! You haven't seen the last of me! You'll see how powerful I will become when I upgrade at the convention!"

With that, Technus phased through the wall and disappeared, leaving the three teens and unconscious child in a half-destroyed electronics store.

"We should go before someone makes us pay for all this," Tucker pointed out.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jazz was still sleeping in her bed. It was a little past noon when she began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a ghost raven standing inches away from her face.

"WHAAA!" she shrieked, jumping a little in her bed, "What the heck are you doing in here!?"

"Waiting for you to wake up," Dust answered, "It's almost two."

"In the afternoon?!" Jazz exclaimed as she sat up and got to her feet.

"No, in the morning," Dust said dryly, "Specter wants you to research as much as you can on the Orbs of Power."

"Why can't he do that himself?" Jazz asked.

"Three reasons," Dust answered, "One; he's humoring your brother and his friends by going shopping for cellphones and clothes."

"Well… I guess everyone could use some new clothes," said Jazz.

"Two; Trevor would rather be flying around looking for Reaper than research the items, even if he wants the information and had no one to help him," Dust continued, "And three; he's currently knocked out."

"Those are all great reasons, but I don't see- wait, he's what?"

"You guys do a lot of double takes, don't you?" Dust asked, "Yes, he's knocked out. He and Danny were fighting Technus and got their butts handed to them."

"How!?" Jazz exclaimed.

"Technus made an armor body," said Dust.

"And, let me guess… you guys were in constant communication using your psychic link, which is why you know all this?"

"Correct."

"Where are they now?"

"I don't know. Once Trevor lost consciousness, I was in the dark. We can't communicate with each other in our sleep."

Jazz quickly checked her phone and sighed in relief.

"Well, looks like they're safe," she said, "They're all at Sam's."

She turned and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Dust asked.

"Girl's got to shower, right?" Jazz smirked as she closed the door behind herself.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Uhhh…" Trevor moaned as he cracked open his eyes.

"Guys, he's waking up," said Sam.

Trevor sat up and rubbed his forehead as Danny and Tucker walked over to him.

"Anyone get the number of that train that ghost that hit me?" he asked as he looked around and saw that he was back in the guest room at the Manson residence, "How long was I out? Where's Technus?"

"About four hours," said Sam.

"He got away after I destroyed his armor with my Ghostly Wail," Danny admitted, "Sorry."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," said Trevor, "I'm still getting used to my pyrokinesis and it sometimes gives out on me. Wish I had it longer than two months."

"I know the feeling," said Danny, "Took me a while to get used to my ice powers."

"Don't be modest, Phantom," said Trevor, "It took you a few hours after Undergrowth overwhelmed Amity Park and you retreated into the Ghost Zone, where Frostbite trained you."

"Okay, fair enough," said Danny, "By the way, why didn't your ghost sense go off."

Trevor sat up in his bed and glared at Danny.

"What?" Danny asked.

Trevor just shook his head.

"What!?" he exclaimed again, "… oh, wait. You don't have ice powers, do you?"

Trevor began to clap sarcastically.

"Should have asked if I had cryokinesis _before _assuming I had a ghost sense," he said.

"Sorry," said Danny.

Trevor looked over and saw that Tucker and Sam were smirking.

"What are you two smiling at?" Trevor asked as he rubbed his head, "Shouldn't you guys be worrying about Technus or, preferably, Reaper before- wait, is my hair shorter?"

Trevor glanced at the smirking teens as Danny joined them.

"Oh, this is _wonderful_. Is there a mirror somewhere? And which dingus is responsible?" Trevor asked as he got up to look for one.

Sam revealed a hand mirror from behind her back and handed it to Trevor. He snatched it out of her hands and looked in the mirror.

"Manson," he said, "why did you do this?"

"Well, you clearly weren't going to cut that hideous hair of yours," she explained, "so I took it upon myself to make you appear more… presentable."

Trevor didn't respond as he kept examining his new hairstyle.

"So, what do you think?" Sam asked, still smirking and raising an eyebrow.

Trevor made a tiny adjustment to his now slicked back tapered hair.

"I think I can never trust you guys when I'm sleeping while I'm here," he muttered, "and that you certainly know how to make a guy look good, Sam; first time I've ever had gel in my hair."

Trevor wiped his hands on his pants.

"My data drive!" he gasped, "It's gone!"

"You mean this?" Tucker asked as he held the data drive out.

"Oh, good," Trevor sighed, "If I lost this thing, I would be in deep doo-doo. Um, you didn't try to copy data from this, did you?"

"What? _Me_? Poking around other people's privacy?" Tucker asked innocently, "Criminal."

"I'm more concerned about the security virus implemented in the data drive that you might have on your device," Trevor said flatly as he grabbed the drive and shoved it in his pocket, "Hope you backed up all your data before you tried to open it."

"No, I really didn't," said Tucker, "Wait… virus?"

"It's a security precaution," Trevor explained, "When an unauthorized user accesses the data-"

No, I mean I think I know a way to stop Technus!" said Tucker, "He was constantly downloading software to improve his new body. But if we infect him with a virus, we can take him down."

Danny turned to Trevor.

"Now do you think shopping was a waste of time?" he asked.

"Shut up," Trevor muttered.

A moment later, Dust phased through the wall and landed on Trevor's shoulder.

"Nice haircut," she commented, "Finally had enough of the emo look?"

"Never liked it to begin with," said Trevor, "Has Jazz found anything?"

"I dunno," said Dust.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Trevor asked.

"It means I don't-"

"Shut up," Trevor hissed, "That joke died long before I was even born, Dust. Danny, head back home and see if Jazz found anything. Text me any relevant information."

A ring appeared around Trevor and he went ghost.

"I'm going to look for Reaper in the meantime," he said as he turned to leave.

"Hold on a second!" Danny exclaimed as he handed Trevor a Fenton Phone, "Use this to keep in contact with us."

"Sure," said Trevor as he put the Fenton Phone on, "Just give me any information regarding Reaper as soon as you learn anything."

Trevor and Dust phased through the wall and Danny turned to Tucker and Sam.

"Since when did he become the leader?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at the Fenton Works, Jazz was sitting on her bed with her laptop, researching anything on the Orbs. A knock from her door got her attention.

"Come in," she said.

Danny opened the door and poked his head inside.

"Oh, hi, Danny."

"Hey, Jazz. How's the research going?" he asked as he approached.

"Not well," she replied, "I haven't found anything concrete regarding these Orbs of Power; only wild speculation."

Danny peaked at the screen and saw a drawing depicting five different colored balls surrounding a black one.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said Jazz, "It might be related to the Orbs, but I haven't found any other pictures yet."

She turned and saw Danny pondering over the image.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"I feel that I've seen another one of those Orbs before, but I can't remember where."

"I'm sure you'll remember," said Jazz, "How are you? I heard about Technus."

"Ah, he got away," Danny sighed, "But Tucker has a plan to stop him the next time we see him."

"You'll catch him, little brother," said Jazz, "You always win."

Danny smiled at that vote of confidence.

***CRASH***

Danny and Jazz turned to the door wondering what that was.

"Ha!" Jack exclaimed from downstairs, "Maddie! I think I'm on to something here! This new weapon will be our greatest invention yet!"

Danny and Jazz gave each other confused looks and shrugged.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

That night, Technus was flying around Amity Park and causing problems for people by messing with their devices. He stopped for a moment when he saw something in the distance. He flew closer to it and noticed that it was Danny Phantom, who was out on his nightly patrol.

"The ghost child," Technus smirked, "I could kill some time with him and his friends."

Danny was too focused on the horizon to notice Technus following him from a distance.

"_You see anything, Danny?" _Sam asked in the Fenton Phone.

"Nope," Danny replied, "How's the virus coming along, Tucker?"

"_It's a work-in-progress," _said Tucker, _"I'm good, but I'm not __**that **__good."_

"_Man, it's been a while since I've had a voice in my ear," _said Specter, _"It's kind of strange. How long will it take before the virus is ready, Foley?"_

"_It should be ready by tomorrow," _Tucker replied.

"_Good,"_ said Specter.

Danny raised an eyebrow and there was a long silence.

"_That's it?"_ Tucker asked, _"No snarky remark about how you could do better or that I should have been done hours ago?"_

"_Nope,"_ Specter replied, _"I don't know how to create computer viruses and I know you're doing the best you can right now. I'm not gonna fault you for using technology that's twenty-five years before my time."_

"Didn't you modify a printer?" Danny asked.

"_I know __**some**__ computer stuff, I don't know everything,"_ Specter replied, _"Besides, isn't that Tucker's job?"_

"_Very funny,"_ said Tucker.

Suddenly, Danny gasped and his ghost sense went off. He stopped in midair and glanced around.

"Ghost sense?"

"_What was that, Phantom?" _Logan asked, _"I didn't quite catch that."_

Danny glanced over and saw Technus smirking at him.

"Found Technus," said Danny, "He's just floating there, as though he's baiting me."

"_Word of advice?" _Logan offered, _"If you feel like your being played, you most likely are. Stay away from him until some help arrives."_

"That from experience?" Danny asked as he skeptically watched Technus.

"_Yeah," _Logan replied.

"Hmm… I think I've got an idea," Danny smirked, "Sam, can you and Tucker head to me?"

"_We're a couple minutes away," _Sam replied.

"That's all the time I'll need," said Danny.

"_Phantom," _Specter warned, _"I'd wait if I were you. Phantom?"_

Nearby, Technus raised an eyebrow.

"What's taking Phantom so long?" he asked out loud, "He usually would be dashing in to stop me by now."

He watched as Danny turned intangible and disappear into a nearby building.

"Oh, so he thinks I'm gonna fall for that trick?" Technus smirked, "Let's see what happens next."

Technus waited for a few moments before Danny phased through the ground behind him and prepared to attack the ghost.

"Gotcha!" Technus exclaimed as he spun around and grabbed the half-ghost by the neck, "Did you really think you could fool me with that?"

For a moment, Danny glared at Technus before smirking.

"Actually, you _did _fall for it," he said before he instantly blinked away.

"What!?" Technus exclaimed.

Suddenly, a green ghost ray hit Technus in the side and sent him flying into a nearby billboard that was advertising the upcoming event tomorrow. Technus shook his head and glared at Danny.

"Very clever using a duplicate, child," said Technus, "Now I'll use one of my own tricks!"

The technopath flew over to a taxicab and held his hand out towards it. A green aura began to glow around it and Technus commanded computers and other devices from nearby building to come to the car. Danny watched as the car began to warp together with the electronics to form a new battle suit.********

"Behold, the car-puter!" Technus exclaimed, "It will _drive _you… to your _**doom**_!"

"Dude, you've seriously need to come up with better names for your creations," Danny deadpanned, "My parents come up with names better than yours, and theirs are mostly goofy names."

Phantom flew towards Technus and fired a couple of ghost rays at him. The robot jumped in front of Technus and raised its arms and blocked the attacks. Technus smirked at Danny and waited until the hero was only a few feet away before the car-puter unleashed a huge cloud of exhaust in front of them. Danny entered the noxious fumes and instantly experienced its effects.

"***Cough* *Cough* **Ugh!" he exclaimed, "I can't ***Cough* **see anything!"

***BAM***

The robot raised its fists and slammed them on top of the stunned half-ghost, slamming him into the ground.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Technus laughed, "Perhaps I won't have to steal those anti-ghost weapons tomorrow after all!"

Danny got back to his feet and turned to Technus.

"Anti-ghost weapons? What are you talking about?" Danny asked.

"Nope, not telling you my masterplans!" Technus exclaimed, "Take him down, my robot!"

The car-puter revved its engine and dashed forward. Danny quickly flew off in the opposite direction, with the robot chasing him.

"Sam, I hope you and Tucker are almost here," he said, "I'm could use some help."

The robot popped its hood and launched the engine at Danny, hitting him in the back. He fell to the ground and slid across the street.

"Ugghh…" he moaned as he picked himself up.

His face had scraps and he suit had a small tear on his arm. The looked up and glanced at the car-puter as Technus flew over.

"What's wrong, ghost-child?" Technus teased, "Too scared to fight without your helpers?"

Phantom's eyes burned with anger as Sam drove up behind him with the Fenton RV. She and Tucker hopped out and ran over to Danny.

"The cavalry has arrived," she announced.

She and Tucker looked over and saw Technus and the car-puter.

"That's a strange way to jumpstart a car," Tucker said nervously.

"Tucker, is that virus ready yet?" Danny asked, "Can you use it on that robot?"

"Danny, it's not ready yet," said Tucker, "It won't even work in its current state."

The car-puter revved its engine and unleashed another cloud of exhaust at the group. Danny quickly surrounded his friends and himself in a ghost shield to prevent themselves from breathing in the toxic air.

"What can the virus do right now?" Danny asked, keeping the shield up.

"Nothing!" Tucker exclaimed.

With the others distracted, Technus took the opportunity to fly around and overshadow the Fenton RV. He began laughing, which got the teens' attention.

"Thanks for the ride, you schmuck!" Technus chuckled as the RV's onboard weapons were brought online.

Team Phantom's eyes widened as the weapons were aimed at them and were prepared to be fire upon them.

"So long, Phantom- AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Technus screamed.

The Fenton RV began to spark with electricity and the weapons began to convulse. The car-puter stopped releasing exhaust when it noticed its master in trouble. Danny brought his shield down and turned to his friends.

"Cover your ears," he told them.

"Danny, wait!" Sam exclaimed.

***Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO~***

Danny unleased a Ghostly Wail at the robot. It grabbed its head as sparks began to fly around its body and parts were ripped off. Within seconds, the car-puter's devices were all removed and the body was turned back into a taxicab. Danny stopped the attack and reverted back to human form and fell to his knees in exhaustion. Technus continued to scream for a couple more seconds before he forced himself out of the Fenton RVs and fell onto the ground.

"Rrrgghhh…" he groaned, "This isn't the end, child!"

Technus launched into the air and disappeared into the distance. Danny got back up to his feet and watched Technus fly off.

"You idiot!"

The three teens turned to the Fenton RV and watched Specter and Dust phase through it and floated towards them.

"What the heck was _that_!?" Logan exclaimed.

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, "I had to deal with that robot, and I needed help!"

Logan shook his head.

"Danny, you do realize that Technus was controlling the robot, right?" he asked, "All you had to do was defeat Technus and the robot would have been dealt with."

"Well, we won, didn't we?" Danny asked, "Aside from Technus escaping… again."

"I'm actually more annoyed that you wasted your energy to use another Ghostly Wail," said Logan, "I get that it's your most powerful attack, but you have other ways of defeating your foes _before _resorting to that!"

"Hey, I know what I'm doing!" Danny shouted, "I didn't ask for your help, did I?"

Trevor raised an eyebrow and held up the flash drive in his hand.

"So you could have handled Technus using the RV? Without me?" he asked.

Danny glared at Trevor.

"You are a real piece of work, aren't you?" Danny remarked.

"Whatever," Specter replied, rolling his eyes, "All I'm saying is that you can't take your ghost powers and friends for granted. You must be able to adapt and handle situations in an appropriate way."

"Oh, really?" Danny snapped, "And who told you that? Your parents?"

"Actually, you did," said Specter, "I hope you're not trying to prove that you can handle anything by yourself. Otherwise, I've made a mistake having you help me."

Danny was surprised by that reply.

"Now, if you're done wasting my time, I'll return to my search," said Specter before he and Dust took to the skies and flew off, leaving Team Phantom alone.

Danny frowned and his friends noticed.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"He's right," Danny sighed.

"You were doing what you thought were right," said Sam, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I wasn't," Danny admitted, "I was just trying to show Specter that he should have more faith in me."

Danny began walking away.

"Danny…" said Sam.

"I need some time alone, guys. I need to think."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Morning, next day, Jazz was in the kitchen eating breakfast as she was studying the file on Reaper and researching the Orbs on her laptop. She looked over and saw Danny entering.

"Morning, Danny," she greeted.

"Hey, Jazz," he replied.

Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"Danny? Are you okay?" she asked, "You sound a bit down."

Danny grabbed some cereal, milk, a spoon, and a bowl and sat down next to her.

"I messed up last night," he explained, "I was trying to prove to Trevor that I can handle any situation and I ended up just acted cocky and taking advantage of my powers and my friends."

"Was Trevor mad?" Jazz asked.

"He sure sounded mad," said Danny.

"Well, what did he say?"

Danny sighed.

"He said that I shouldn't rely on my powers and friends for help."

"That's not at all what I said."

Danny and Jazz turned their heads and saw Trevor walking in.

"I said to not take your powers and friends for granted," Trevor clarified, "That doesn't mean you don't ever need their help."

Trevor sat down at the table across from the Fentons.

"And I wasn't mad at you," said Trevor, "I was just disappointed."

"That feels even worse," Danny said as his face fell even more.

"It's supposed to make you feel worse," Trevor said flatly, "Danny, the reason I said you can only help me find Reaper and not fight him isn't because I don't doubt your abilities. It's because I'm trying to keep you and your friends and family safe."

"Huh?" Danny exclaimed.

"You think that tear in my mask was the closest I've come to death?" Trevor asked, "I've had worse happen to me. You included. I can't risk having the world lose its greatest hero, for the sake of your future and the world's."

Trevor paused for a moment.

"Even if we are halfway to death," he said.

"Did you just make a joke?" Danny asked.

Trevor raised his eyebrows.

"And you think I can do nothing?" Danny asked.

"Huh?"

"I heard every word of your story," Danny explained, "I can't stand sitting on the sidelines when the most dangerous ghost is out there trying to bring the end of the world."

"Danny-"

"No, Trevor!" Danny shouted, "You may know more than me, but what I do know is that if I don't help you fight Reaper and he succeeds, I would never be able to live it down."

Trevor stared at Danny.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to fight and capture Reaper, with or without your permission."

Trevor blinked a couple of times before nodding.

"Very well, Phantom," said Trevor, "But knowing you, you would want to deal with Technus first, huh?"

"You know it," Danny smirked.

Jazz smiled at the two halfas.

"I'm still not exactly comfortable about this," Trevor admitted, "but… clearly I won't be able to convince you otherwise."

Danny smiled.

"Just don't die," Trevor added, "I'm heading back to Manson's; you can thank her later for making me come over here."

"Sam told you to come over here?" Danny asked.

"She played the guilty card," Trevor admitted, "I also just wanted her to shut up and let me focus on searching for Reaper."

"Well… thanks, Trevor," said Danny.

Trevor nodded and transformed in Specter.

"Talk to you later," he said as he phased through the ceiling.

"That went well," said Jazz, "Promise me that nothing will happen to you."

Danny turned towards his sister.

"Yeah," he said, "I promise."

Jazz got up and hugged her brother. Danny looked around and noticed something was missing.

"Hey, where's mom and dad?" he asked as he pulled away.

"They left for the convention," Jazz answered.

"Convention?" Danny asked, "What convention?"

"Vlad's hosting a ghost hunting convention today in front of City Hall," Jazz explained, "He asked mom and dad to a part of the convention and show off their own ghost hunting weapons and technology alongside other ghost hunting groups."

"Is Vlad there?" Danny asked.

"He was supposed to be, but I heard he had a business trip to make, so he won't be there" said Jazz.

"That's good. The farther away from that froot- wait a minute… ghost hunting _weapons_? _Technology_!?" Danny asked, "Oh my gosh! That's what Technus was talking about!"

"What?" Jazz asked, confused.

A white ring appeared around Danny and he turned into Phantom.

"Jazz, pick up Tucker at his place and bring him to the convention!" he exclaimed.

"Um… why?"

"Because Technus is about to become an unstoppable ghost!" Danny exclaimed as he phased through the ceiling and put his Fenton Phone on.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Over by City Hall, Jack and Maddie pulled up in the Fenton RV. Jack opened the door and stepped out. He took a big whiff of the air.

"Aaahhh…" he sighed, "Maddie, you know what that smell is?"

"Political greed?" Maddie asked as she stepped out of the RV, "Corruption? Industrial, dirty air?"

"Nope!" Jack exclaimed, "Ghost hunting tech."

Jack and Maddie looked before them and saw multiple presentations from different ghost hunting groups, including the Guys in White, the Groovy Gang and Scaredy Cat, Extreme Ghostbreakers, and various other lesser known group; each showcasing their latest creations in ghost hunting technology and weaponry.

"It's such a beautiful sight," said Jack, "I just wish Vladdie wasn't so busy and see this."

"Oh, honey, I know how much you wanted to show Vlad our weapons," sad Maddie as she patted Jack's cheek, "I'm sure he'll be amazed when we show them to him when he returns."

Jack smiled at his wife's optimism and pulled out the Fenton Ghost Chiller.

"I bet he will," he said, "Now, let's go get our area set up."

As the Fentons entered the convention, Technus appeared on the roof of a nearby building and spied over the event.

"Heh-heh-heh," he smirked as he turned invisible and flew towards the convention.

He flew through the panels, unnoticed, as he browsed through the weapons and devices being presented. His eyes caught sight of something very interesting.

"Ooh," he hummed, "This! With this, I will finally be rid of that ghost-child."

He overshadowed the equipment and began laughing maniacally as it powered up. A moment later, an agent of the Guys in White looked over and saw that one of their displays was missing.

"Hey, what happened to the prototype power armor?" he asked.

"Hey, government lacky! Up here!" Technus shouted, getting the agent's attention, "Looking for something?"

"Code red! Repeat, code red!" the agent shouted before a ghost ray was fired at him.

"This suit is _amazing_!" Technus exclaimed.

Around him, all the other ghost hunters grabbed their equipment and ran towards the technopath.

"I wonder what will happen when I steal _all these weapons_?" Technus pondered as he fired upon the crowd.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles out, Danny Phantom was dashing through the air to get to the convention.

"Danny!" Sam shouted.

He looked over and saw Specter carrying Sam by the arms and flying next to him.

"I should have captured Technus last night," Danny remarked to himself, "If he gets that new tech, we might not be able to stop him."

"That won't happen, Danny," said Sam, "Tucker, is the virus ready?"

"_I think so," _Tucker replied on the Fenton Phone, _"It should work against anything Technus creates, but I haven't been able to test it."_

"We don't have much of a choice," said Danny, "We'll have to hit him with everything we've got if it comes to that."

"Uh oh," Specter muttered, "We may be too late. Look!"

Danny and Sam looked out and saw the convention. It was a mess; people were either running away in terror or were laying on the ground unconscious and most of the convention was destroyed. Danny saw his parents and his eyes widened.

"My parents!" he exclaimed and flew down to them.

Specter and Sam followed him. He put Sam down and she rushed over to Danny's side.

"They're unconscious," Danny told her before he put a hand on his forehead, "This is all my fault."

"You can't blame yourself," said Sam, "All we can do now is to stop Technus from making things worse."

Danny glanced over and saw the Chiller and Collector on the ground next to his parents. He grabbed the Chiller and handed it to Sam.

"Then I'll start by not giving him an edge," said Danny as he picked up the Collector.

"I'll take that," said Logan as he walked up to them, "I'm still not able to use my full potential yet and I'll be more helpful with the Collector."

Danny nodded and tossed it to him.

"Tucker, how long until you guys get here?" Sam asked.

"_We'll be there in ten minutes!" _Tucker exclaimed.

"You'll need more time than that," said a voice.

The three turned around and saw a strange looking robot. It had a sleek metal body with broad shoulders, a Y-shaped lens on the helmet where his red eyes peaked through, and razor-sharp fingers.

"Technus!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Yes, but I've upgraded!" the ghost announced, "I'm now Technus 3.0!"

Sam turned to Danny and saw the worried look on his face. He shook it off and glared at the ghost.

"I don't care how many times you upgrade; I'll always beat you!" Danny exclaimed.

Sam smiled before she aimed the Chiller at Technus. The technopath laughed.

"Child, you are for a whole new world of pain!"

Sam pulled the trigger and fired the Chiller at Technus. The blue resin sailed through the air, but just as it was about to hit Technus, an energy shield appeared in front of the resin and sent it flying back at Sam. Danny quickly grabbed Sam and carried her out of the way. Technus laughed as he held up a hand and fired an electrified ghost ray at them. Specter quickly flew in the attack's path and took the hit.

"Ugghh…" he moaned, "That attack was much more powerful than I expected. It's enhanced with something."

"You okay?" Danny asked as he flew over to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Logan replied, "I'm more concerned of what other weapons he stole."

"We won't be able to hit him with any of our weapons or attacks," said Danny, "We'll have to keep him busy until Tucker gets here."

"Now _that's _the Danny Phantom I recognize," Logan smirked as he pulled out his Fenton Phone and put it on, "What's the plan?"

Technus fired two more ghost rays at the group, causing them to split, with Danny still carrying Sam.

"Sam?" Danny asked, "How about a game of Whac-A-Mole?"

Sam raised her eyebrow for a moment before getting what Phantom was getting at.

"Let's freeze the rodent," she smirked.

"_I'll keep him distracted between hits," _said Logan, _"Get him from behind first."_

Specter flew around a destroyed showcase and floated in front of Technus.

"Excuse, I'm looking for tech support; can you help me?" Specter asked him.

Technus fired another ghost ray at Logan, who floated to the side and avoided the attack.

"You need to work on your people skills," he said to the ghost.

Technus fired more ghost rays, but Specter just kept dodging them. Behind him, Danny and Sam phased out of the ground and turned tangible. Sam fired the Chiller at Technus, who appeared to be unaware of the attack. But like before, an energy shield appeared in front of the resin and deflected it back at them. Danny quickly turned flew himself and Sam out of the way.

"Nice try!" Technus shouted, "But this suit comes with the latest in automated defense systems. I don't need to do anything, because the suit will protect me from all attacks."

Specter flew towards Technus and threw a fist at him.

"Including physical attacks," Technus finished just as the shield appeared again and sent Logan flying back a few feet.

"Darn," he muttered, "Looks like we'll have to keep baiting him until Tucker gets here. Would be easier if we could actually harm him."

"_It doesn't matter," _said Danny, _"We'll keep this up, no matter what."_

Logan looked over and quickly jumped out of the way of Technus' ghost ray. He aimed the Collector at Technus and fired the claw grapple at the ghost. Again, the shield prevented harm to come to Technus.

"I just hope we can keep him distracted," said Logan.

Danny put Sam down on her feet. As she ran off to find a place to distract Technus, Danny looked over his shoulder at the remains of the convention.

"Tucker… where are you?" Danny moaned.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jazz was driving as fast as she could as she drove around the other cars.

"We're almost there, Danny!" Tucker exclaimed as he sat in the passenger seat, "Just hold on."

"_How much longer?" _Sam asked.

"Just a couple of more minutes!" Tucker exclaimed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Technus continued laughing as he fired a barrage of ghost rays at Phantom, Sam, and Specter. One of the attacks hit the Chiller and launched it out of Sam's hands. She ran to pick it back up and Technus fired at her.

'Sam!" Danny exclaimed and flew in front of her to block the attack.

Sam shut her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them, she saw that Danny had surrounded them in a ghost shield.

"Thanks, Danny."

Specter aimed the Collector at Technus again and concentrated his energy into the weapon, charging it up. He pulled the trigger and it fired a blue ghost ray at Technus. Again, the shield went up, but it deflected the ray into the ground instead.

"Well, so much for my theory that I could charge the Collector with my electrokinesis," he muttered, "Danny, use your- ***URK***"

With lightning speed, Technus approached Specter and grabbed him by the neck.

"All you bugs have been annoying for long enough!" Technus exclaimed and he dashed over to Danny and Sam, "Here, for you!"

Technus threw Logan at Danny and the two crashed into the side of another showcase.

"Danny! Logan!" Sam exclaimed as she rushed over to them, "Are you guys alright?"

Danny got up and helped Logan to his feet.

"This is crazy," said Danny, "There's no way we can even touch him without that virus."

Logan tried to summon his ghostly flames, but they kept fizzling out.

"Remind me to beat Reaper to a pulp when we catch him," he said.

"Still can't use your fire powers?" Sam asked.

"Nope."

Suddenly, Technus zoomed by and grabbed Danny.

"Miss me?" Technus asked as he took Danny with him.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed.

Technus raised a fist and prepared to beat Phantom.

"Any last words, Phantom?" he asked.

"Uh, can I have my last meal?" Danny smiled nervously.

"Oh, sure!" Technus exclaimed, "You can eat this knuckle sandwich!"

Technus threw the punch, but his hand froze just inches from Danny's face. Danny opened one of his eyes.

"Huh!?" Technus exclaimed, "I can't move my arm!"

"Yeah, that was because of me."

Everyone looked over and saw Tucker standing with his PDA in his hand and Jazz sitting in her car, watching the events.

"What did you do to me!?" Technus shouted.

"Oh, nothing," Tucker smirked, "Just uploaded a virus into that suit of yours. I don't think you'll be needing those software programs anymore."

Technus' eyes widened as he lifted his arm up and checked the hologram screen, which showed all the software he downloaded being erased or corrupted.

"NO!" Technus screamed as he dropped Danny, "You! You'll pay for this!"

The ghost glared at Tucker and tried to grab him, but his body froze in place.

"His suit is being slowed down by the virus," Danny said to himself, "I wonder…? Sam! Fire the Chiller at him!"

"What!? Why!?" Sam asked.

"Just do it!" Danny shouted.

"Okay…" she said as she aimed the weapon at Technus, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"He does," Specter told her.

Sam fired the weapon and everyone watched the resin fly through the air.

"Come on," Danny pleaded.

The projectile hit Technus and coated his body in ice.

"Yes!" Danny exclaimed, "His defenses are down. Tuck, you are the man!"

"I know," Tucker replied.

Danny turned to Logan, who just nodded at him. Danny smiled and returned his attention back to Technus.

"Alright, time for a downgrade," he said before he fired a ghost ray at the ghost.

The attack shattered the ice and freed Technus, making him crash into the debris of one of the destroyed panels. Technus slowly pulled himself out of the rubble and glared at Phantom. He held his arms up and fired two wrist grapples out and sent two powerful electric attacks along them. Danny caught the wires and smirked.

"Do your thing, Ghost Stinger!" he shouted as he whipped the wires and reversed the attack back at Technus, giving him a huge shock.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Technus screamed for a moment before his burned-out body slumped to its knees, "How can this be happening!?"

"Specter! Drain his power!" Danny shouted.

"Got it," Specter replied as he fired the Collector's claw at the downed ghost.

As soon as the claw grabbed Technus' wrist, his energy levels began to plummet.

"No!" Technus shouted, "This can't be happening! I am Technus 3.0! I am unstoppable!"

"Now, Phantom!" Logan exclaimed.

Danny pulled out the Fenton Thermos and aimed it at Technus.

"Believe it, Technus," Danny smirked, "You may look different, but inside, you're not different than all the other times I've beaten you."

The grapple beam grabbed Technus and began to pull him inside.

"This isn't over, ghost-child!" Technus shouted, "I will defeat yyyyooooouuuu~!"

With Technus captured, Danny placed the cap on the Thermos and reverted back to human form. Tucker and Sam ran over to Danny.

"Nice work, dude!" said Tucker.

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you guys," Danny smiled.

Specter floated over and landed near Danny before reverting back to his human form.

"So, did I pass this test?" Danny smirked.

"You need more practice," said Trevor, "But I think you've proven yourself to me. I've always known you could do it. It was just a matter of how long it would take before you realized you had to do nothing different than what you've already done."

Trevor handed him the Collector moments before Dust flew in and landed on Trevor's shoulder.

"There you are, Dust," he said, "Still no sign of Reaper?"

"Nothing," she replied, "We might have to wait for him to make his move."

"Figures," Trevor sighed.

Danny looked at his friends and they nodded.

"You know… we could help look for him right now," said Danny.

Trevor turned to him with a slightly surprised look on his face.

"Uh-"

"Hey! What are you kids doing here!?"

The gang turned and saw two Guys in White agents running to them.

"You four shouldn't be here!" one of the agents exclaimed, "Some crazy ghost stole everyone's equipment."

"Wow, you guys lost your stuff?" Trevor asked with feigned shock, "How awful. What a surprise."

"Danny?"

He looked over and saw his parents standing behind him.

"Mom! Dad!" he exclaimed, "You're okay!"

"Of course were okay, son," said Jack, "We Fentons know how to handle ourselves."

Trevor elbowed Tucker and handed him the Collector before he and Dust turned invisible.

"Oh, you found our weapons!" Maddie exclaimed as she took them from Tucker and Sam, "I'll take them off your hands. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tucker and Sam said at the same time.

"You kids should leave this area," said Jack, "That ghost might still be around. And its more dangerous than anything we've seen before."

Trevor uncomfortably scratched the back of his head.

"Hey, I've got a reading!" shouted one of the members of the Extreme Ghostbreakers, "The ghost is over there!"

Everyone turned and watched as other ghost hunters regained consciousness and ran off in the other direction. The Guys in White agents also began their pursuit.

"Ghosts?" Jack asked, "Maddie, get the RV ready!"

Jack and Maddie ran off towards the Fenton RV and Trevor turned visible again.

'Another ghost?" Danny asked, "You think it's Reaper?"

"Nah, it's just Dust flying off," Trevor stated pointing to his now empty shoulder, "They'll never catch her, she knows how to handle herself. We should leave though."

Trevor turned and headed for Jazz's car. The others raised an eyebrow and followed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A couple of minutes later, they were on the road.

"So, about that search for Reaper…" said Danny, "We can look for him now, if you want."

"I do," said Trevor, "But I think I may have been a bit hasty thinking we should just search him out in random locations."

"So?" Sam asked.

"So… ***Sigh* **I can't believe I'm saying this, but I could use some new clothes as well," said Trevor.

"Really?" Danny asked, "Trevor, we don't have to-"

"Like I said, I may have been a bit hasty," said Trevor, "And it's mostly my fault because… catching Reaper is something personal to me."

"It is?" Jazz asked, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"There are a few reasons," said Trevor, "But the main one was because I didn't, and I still don't, want us to be close friends. I've said it a few times already and I'll say it again; we capture Reaper, I take him back with me to my timeline, and we never hear or see each other ever again."

"We get that," said Tucker.

"I want to believe that, Tucker, but you really don't," said Trevor, "Please, don't ask me why it's personal. Just promise me none of you will get hurt when we find Reaper."

Danny sighed.

"We can't promise you that," he said, "If anyone here is going to get hurt, it will be me, and me alone."

Trevor chuckled and shook his head.

"Aside from your slight immaturity, you are almost no different than your future self," he said, "Alright, Danny. You win. As long as no one else dies, I can live with that."

Sam reached over and put a hand on Trevor's shoulder, making him smile a little.

"No matter what, we'll help you, Trevor," she said.

"… Don't make promises you can't keep," said Trevor, "But thank you."

Everyone went quiet for a moment.

"So where's the best place to get clothes?" Trevor asked.

"Jazz," said Sam, "take a left here."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes later, Jazz was sitting outside the changing rooms of the clothing store, reading a magazine. One of the doors unlocked and Jazz looked up to see Tucker coming out. He was now wearing a yellow layered sleeve t-shirt with white sleeves, laurel green pants with a black leather metal buckle belt, and brown leather shoes. He kept the red beret on his head.**^*** He walked over to the full body mirror and posed at himself.

"Lookin' smooth," he said.

"That's one way to describe how you look," said Danny.

Tucker and Jazz looked over and saw Danny in his new clothes. He was wearing a slightly darker pair of jeans with even darker hems and a t-shirt that was the same as his old shirt but the entirety of the sleeves were red; the red color was of a darker shade.**^***

"Not getting different shoes?" Jazz asked.

Danny and Tucker looked down at the shoes in question.

"I couldn't find anything I liked," Danny shrugged, "Besides, I think they still go well with these clothes, so I just bought a new pair."

"Looks like we all kept our usual choice in clothes," said Sam.

Danny turned around and looked at Sam's new look. She was wearing the exact same tank top but a larger size, a dark purple skirt with black crosshatch design that was noticeably shorter in length, black thigh high socks, and dark grey riding boots. She replaced her green hair tie with a purple one and kept the choker and bracelets.**^****

"Wow, Sam, you better than before," Danny commented.

"Really?" she asked, slightly blushing, 'You think so?"

"Yeah. Especially since you've transitioned from leggings to…"

Danny stopped talking and turned red.

"To what, Danny?" Sam smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, well… I… umm… you see…"

Danny was starting to sweat nervously as she waited for him to answer and Tucker and Jazz were trying hold their laughter.

"What's wrong, Fenton?" Sam teased, "Having trouble finding the right words?"

"Umm… You know what, I think I'll just shut up before I say something that will make you hurt me," he smiled nervously.

"That's what I thought," said Sam.

"Ho mia Dio, ĉu vi du kisos jam?!"

**(Oh my God, will you two kiss already?)**

Everyone turned to the changing room entrance and saw Trevor wearing dark blue navy jeans, a black V-neck t-shirt with thin white bands just above the ends of the sleeves, a pair of black sneakers with ghostly green decals, and a pair of black shield sunglasses. He still had his black scarf on.

"Well?" he asked, holding his arms out, "Thoughts?"

"Looks good," said Danny, "Aside from the scarf."

"Yeah, I don't like it either, but I don't want to go waltzing around with a huge wound on my throat and people stare at it," Trevor explained, "But it really looks good?"

"Yeah, and definitely better than those assassin-looking clothes," Sam added, "What's that in your hand?"

Trevor looked over and showed them a black flat cap in his hand.

"Oh, this?" he asked, "Yeah, I finished up like fifteen minutes ago and got tired of waiting for you guys, so I checked out their selection of hats and found this."

He glanced up at the group.

"You don't think it looks stupid on me, do you?" he asked as he put the hat on.

"It looks great on you, Trevor," said Sam, "But you'll ruin your hair if you wear it."

Trevor took the cap off and brushed his hair back with his fingers.

"Nah, I'm just gonna wear this on days with bad weather. Not that I'm staying that long… I hope," he said, "You guys look like you're ready. Are we done?"

"Yeah, I think we are," said Tucker.

"Good!" Trevor exclaimed, "Now let's pay for this stuff and get back to work. Reaper isn't going to do nothing while we don't search for him."

The halfa walked past them and entered the changing room to get out of the clothes. The others followed suit before they and headed for the registers to purchase the clothes.

"Now we have to go back into the changing room, just to put the new clothes back on," Trevor muttered, "This is so stupid. In the future, you just put them on and pay at the counter."

"Welcome to the year 2005," Danny smirked.

"Yeah, I can't wait to get back to 2030," said Trevor, ""

A minute later, the gang left the store in their new clothes and walked toward Jazz's car. Trevor looked up and saw Dust flying in. She landed on his shoulder and stared at him.

"Why are you dressed like a hobo?" she asked.

"Why do you look like rat with wings?" Trevor shot back, "In fact, why are always in that form? Don't you have like three other forms, including your real form?"

"Real form?" the others asked simultaneously.

Trevor turned to them.

"Oh, right, I never told you; yeah, Dust is a shapeshifter," he told them.

"You mean like Bertrand?" Danny asked.

"Exactly like Bertrand," said Trevor, "Only she never uses her real form, aside from that one brief moment a few days ago."

"Why are you telling them this?" Dust asked, "It's not like it's important. We're leaving in less than two weeks."

"Thanks for reminding me," Trevor deadpanned, "And for the record, this is how people dressed back then."

"So everyone dresses like hobos?" Dust asked.

"Since when do you crack jokes!?" Trevor exclaimed as the gang reached Jazz's car.

Trevor and Dust glared at each other for a moment before they turned to the others.

"This is why we should catch Reaper as fast as possible," said Trevor, "You guys are rubbing off on us."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Danny smirked.

"Yes," said Trevor.

Danny looked down at his new clothes and started thinking. Everyone got in the car; Trevor sat in the passenger seat; and Sam noticed Danny pondering over something.

"What's on your mind, Danny?" she asked.

"Hey, Trevor? Can I ask you something?" said Danny.

"Doesn't that count?" Trevor asked, "Oh, my gosh, you _**ARE **_rubbing off on me!"

"Is there a way from me to change my _other _clothes?" Danny asked.

Trevor turned around and looked at the hero.

"What did you have in mind?" he smirked.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

That evening, Specter and Dust flew from Sam's place and headed for the Fenton Works. As soon as they were close enough, they saw Danny Phantom floating above a rooftop of a building next to the Fenton Works.

"Like the new look," Logan noted, "I bet it feels more comfortable too."

Danny turned around and smirked. He had made modifications to his suit, including adding a green band around his collar and at the ends of his boots and gloves, making his belt slightly larger and added some green decals to the belt.**^*****

"I bet my future self looks even cooler," he said.

"You'll find out in about twenty-five years," said Specter as he readjusted his white scarf, "You know, I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like this scarf now."

"I thought you hated it," Danny said with a raised eyebrow.

"In my human form, I do," said Specter, "Gives me a _ghostly _look."

He then slapped himself in the face, making Danny laugh.

"I guess Clockwork was right when he said I could teach you something," Phantom chuckled.

"Well, enough fooling around," said Specter as he and Danny pulled out their Fenton Phones and put them on, "You guys ready?"

"_We're all ready, Specter," _said Tucker.

"_Let's go hunting," _said Sam.

The sound of an engine starting up got Phantom's, Specter's, and Dust's attention. They looked down and saw Jazz driving the Fenton RV with Tucker and Sam ready in the passenger seats.

"Let's get started," said Danny, "After all, Specter's on the clock."

Everyone split up and began traveling in different directions.

"_So tell us about Dust's other forms," _said Tucker.

"_You want something to keep you busy, Foley?" _Specter asked, _"Listen to some music. I heard Ember made a big hit in your early encounter with her."_

"_Oh, so you know Ember?" _ Sam asked, _"I can only imagine what she's like in the future."_

"_***Sigh* **__Why did I open my stupid mouth?" _Specter moaned, _"This is going to be a __**long **__thirteen days."_

"That's more than enough time, Specter," Danny smirked as he flew into the distance, "That's more than enough time."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

*** Ghosts are unaffected by gravity (aside from certain circumstances, like during fights), so they can lift heavy objects with ease, according to Butch Hartman.**

**** Technopathy is the ability to telepathically command and control machinery and computers; turn harmless electronic devices into weapons. (DP Wiki)**

***** Although he sounds like it, Technus was actually not voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. He was voiced by Rob Paulsen, who also did the voice of Jack Fenton and the Box Ghost. Shocking, I know. But Technus sure sounds like Gottfried, doesn't he?**

****** Same battle suit from "Phantom Planet".**

**^ Look up Nicolai Technus on the DP Wiki and scroll down to the bottom; you'll see the design for Technus 3.0 there.**

**^* Look up Amethyst-Ocean's "DP: Lovely Night" on DeviantArt.**

**^** Look up Amethyst-Ocean's "DP: Sam Growing Up" on DeviantArt.**

**^*** Look up Amethyst-Ocean's "DP: Danny Growing Up". It's the one next to the transforming Danny, if you can't figure it out.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Fun Fact: Technus 3.0 was originally going to appear in "Flirting with Disaster", but the idea was scrapped since the design didn't work with what happened the story at the time.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Not gonna lie, this episode was a pain to write. I rewrote parts of it like twenty different times until I decided to go with this. But it should be, more or less, smooth sailing because there's only one episode left! Yup, you read that right! The season finale will be a "movie"! Although it will be twice the length of a regular episode, it will be uploaded into two parts. Don't worry, both parts will be uploaded on the same day, but that means you'll have to wait a little longer than usual.**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


	8. Episodes 59 & 60 (Part 1)

**Welcome back, phans,**

**Look, I know, I know! You guys are like "WHERE THE **** HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Well, there's a reason… no, that's a lie, there are multiple reasons why it took this long to upload. I won't get into that until the A/N at the end of the movie (episode 60). I also have some important news at the end as well.**

**Now, without further ado, let's jump into it!**

**Ver. 1.0.0 (9/28/19)**

**Standard Disclaimer, I do not own Danny Phantom. If I did, I'm pretty sure Butch Hartman would question the story arcs I've come up with… and try to have me fired. Okay, let's start the episode.**

… **Oh, and I don't own "Enter Sandman", that belongs to Metallica. Okay, **_**now **_**let's start the episode.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

It was late at night in Amity Park. Vlad Masters was sitting at his desk, signing the last of some political forms, with only the faint glow of the room lights illuminating the vicinity. He scribbled his signature on the last form before placing the pen aside. He reached under his desk and pressed a hidden red button, causing an elevator to rise from the center of his office. He got up from his desk and entered the small pod. His cat, Maddie, pounced after him and sat beside his feet. The doors closed and the elevator began to descend. Deep beneath City Hall, the elevator stopped moving and opened to Vlad's newly built secret laboratory. Maddie hopped out of the elevator, followed by Vlad walking into the lab. An evil smile crept upon his face as a black ring appeared around his waist and he changed into Vlad Plasmius. He stopped before a counter that had device on top that appeared to be a small electronic safe connected to multiple wires.

"Hmm…" Vlad smiled, "It's nearly complete."

He glanced over at the cold storage shelf next to the counter. He walked over and entered the code to deactivate the locks. The door opened a crack, allowing a large frosty mist to escape. Vlad reached in and pulled out a vial of red fluid. He brought it up to read the label; "Sam Manson".

"Don't you have more important things to do than stare mindlessly at a vial of blood?" a dark voice asked behind Vlad.

"Ah, you've arrived," said Vlad as he turned to greet Reaper and Magnus

The machine nearby began to beep.

"And not a moment too soon," Vlad added.

"You told us a couple of days ago you would have surprise for us," said the ghost magician, "I love surprises. Do tell us!"

"Ugh…" Reaper moaned, "Your positivity sickens me."

Vlad smiled evilly as he opened the machine, reached inside, and pulled out something that made Reaper's irises enlarge and glow brighter.

"I see that this pleases you," Vlad smirked.

Reaper reached out to take the item out of Vlad's hand, but the half-ghost villain stepped back and pulled his hand away.

"Before we get hasty, wouldn't you like to hear what I plan to do with this Orb of Power?" Vlad asked.

"… I'm listening," Reaper nodded.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles outside the city, Vlad Plasmius flew across the sky, approaching the Amity Park Penitentiary. As he got closer, he turned invisible and flew over the prison walls. In the watchtowers, the guards scanned the ground below as he remained undetected. He then turned intangible and phased through the stone walls. He turned tangible again and landed on the ground. Vlad began to walk down the dark corridors of the prison. He peaked around a corner and saw two nightguards approaching, their flashlights shining around the area. He quickly retreated back a couple of steps as one of the beams of light was directed towards him. The guards bustled over and turned the corner, only to find no one there. Shrugging, the two guards returned back to their patrol route just before Vlad made himself visible again and snuck his way towards a very specific holding cell.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~," Vlad quietly called out, playfully.

Door after door, Plasmius continued his search for a very specific inmate.

"No… no… no… aha!" Vlad exclaimed, "Found you."

He went intangible and entered the cell. Once inside, he made himself tangible again and slowly approached the shadows, where a prisoner was resting on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Frederich Isak Showenhower, I presume?" Vlad asked.

The inmate's eyes glanced over to Vlad before he sat up.

"The one and only," Freakshow smirked, "And you must be Vlad Plasmius. I've heard much about you. Big fan."

"And I you," Vlad replied.

"To what do I owe the pleasure to be visited by the mayor of Amity Park?" the prisoner asked.

Vlad smiled as he handed Freakshow a photograph of the Orb.

"Well, well, well," said Freakshow, "My crystal ball."

"And it can be yours again," Vlad explained, "All you need to do is follow my orders, along with my partner's."

"Hmm…" Freakshow pondered, "Nope. I'm good, thank you."

Freakshow laid back down in his bunk and closed his eyes.

"Really?" Vlad said with phony surprise, "Well, that is quite a shame, Freakshow. I was hoping you'd help us take down Danny Phantom."

Freakshow's eyes shot open and darted towards the half-ghost.

"But," Vlad continued, "if you don't want to help, that's fine. We can always find another."

Vlad smirked as he began to float away.

"On second thought," Freakshow said as he sat back up, giving Vlad pause, "perhaps we have a common goal after all."

"Wonderful!" Vlad exclaimed.

Freakshow looked back at the photo.

"Fate may be on my side after all," he chuckled.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

As the night progressed, back at the Fenton Works, Danny Fenton was in bed, having a terrible nightmare; tossing and turning in bed.

"Mmm… no… mom… dad…" he muttered, "No… wait… stop…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny Phantom was running through the halls of the Fenton Works, which appeared to stretch longer as he kept on going. He looked over his shoulder to see Jack and Maddie catching up to him; Maddie carrying the Fenton Ghost Chiller and Jack wearing the Fenton Ghost Gloves*****.

"You disgusting ghost!" Maddie exclaimed, "Give me my son back!"

Danny looked forward and realized he ran right into a dead-end, making him stop dead in his tracks. He desperately looked around for a door, a stairway, anything he could use to escape. Two shadows towered over him, causing Danny to spin around and gasp as his parents stood before him.

"We've got you now, ghost boy," Jack smirked.

Danny slowly backed away from his parents.

"Mom, dad! It's me!" he exclaimed, "It's Danny! Your _son_!"

A white ring appeared around his waist and he reverted back to his human form.

"Don't worry, son," said Jack as he cracked his knuckles, "I'll _**beat **_that ghost out of you."

Danny held up his hands and shook his head.

"No-no-no, y-you don't understand!" he exclaimed, "Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom… we're one in the same!"

Maddie aimed her weapon at Danny.

"_**You**_… are _not_… my _**SON**_," she hissed.

As the two Fentons closed the gap between them and their son, Danny's back hit the wall. A white ring appeared around his waist again and he went ghost.

"Guys! Please!" he pleaded, "You have to believe me!"

"What should we do with him, Maddie?" Jack asked, glancing over to his wife.

"I want to strap him to a table and dissect him," Maddie grinned evilly, "I've always wanted to do that."

"Let's rip him apart, molecule by molecule!" Jack added as he brought his hands up, "It's what our son would want for us to save him."

Danny shut his eyes tight and cowered behind his arms.

"No, please!" he cried out.

Danny braced for his parents to attack him. Seconds passed, but it never came. He opened one eye and looked up. Jack and Maddie were no longer there. Neither was the Fenton Works.

"Huh?" Danny exclaimed as he got up to his feet and looked around in confusion.

He found himself to be in the middle of a vast void.

"_Obey me~…" _a voice echoed.

"Who said that?" Danny asked as he turned in the direction the voice came from.

"_Obey me~…"_

Danny began walking in the direction the voice was coming from.

"_Obey me~…"_

"That voice," Danny muttered, "I know that voice."

"_Obey me~…"_

Danny squinted into the darkness and saw a faint red glow. As he got closer, it became brighter and brighter.

"_Cross over to the dark side…"_

"Cross over…" Danny said in a trance before he shook his head and widening his eyes, "Oh no…"

Not far from Danny was Freakshow's crystal ball staff, floating in the air and hypnotizing him. He tried to turn away from the ball, but his body betrayed him and brought him closer to it. Danny was a few feet away from the ball before his eyes turned into red swirls.

"You are under my control," Freakshow smirked as he showed himself in the void, holding the staff, "Turn around."

Phantom did as he was ordered and found himself facing down his parents once more.

"Destroy them," Freakshow ordered.

Danny shut his eyes and shook his head.

"What!?" he exclaimed, "No!"

"There's the ghost, Jack!" Maddie exclaimed as she aimed her weapon at Phantom, "Now's our chance!"

Danny raised his hands and prepared to blast his folks with a pair of ghost rays.

"No! Mom! Dad! It's me!" Danny exclaimed, "You've got to stop Freakshow!"

Jack charged at him as Maddie fired the Chiller.

"Do it," said Freakshow.

In an instant, Danny fired a ghost ray at each of his parents and shut his eyes tight. An unwelcoming silence fell upon the void as Danny panted in exhaustion. His arms, still held out, were shaking. Danny reluctantly opened his eyes, revealing their normal green glow, and fell to his knees when he saw his parents lying on the ground.

"NNNOOOO!" Danny cried out before he buried his face in his hands and sobbed.

"Danny?"

Phantom whipped his head around and saw Sam staring at him.

"Sam…" Danny cried, "I… I-"

"You killed your parents…" she said in disbelief.

"I… I-I-I didn't… Freakshow… he took over-"

"You should have been stronger!" Sam remarked as she stormed over towards him, "No, you _could _have been stronger! You should have been able to break Freakshow's hold!"

"Sam… I tried!" Danny exclaimed, "I really did! But… my parents… I told them… they didn't-"

Sam stood over Danny and glared at him.

"You are a monster," she told him, "I don't even know who you are anymore, but you are _**not **_my friend!"

She turned around and began to walk away.

"Sam…" Danny said as he got up to his feet, "Please, don't leave me!"

He reached out and grabbed her hand. Even with his enhanced reflexes, Danny didn't know Sam had slapped him across the face until he felt the stinging pain on his left cheek.

"I hate you, Danny!" she shouted as he rubbed his cheek and tears continued to fall down his face, "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

Sam's mantra began to echo and overlap itself as Danny stared at her, heartbroken. It continued for a few moments and then, silence.

"Kill her," Freakshow ordered.

Danny's eyes turned red as he lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Sam's neck. Sam grabbed Danny's wrists as he pushed her down onto her back and continued to choke her.

"You can do it, Danny," Freakshow smirked as he appeared behind him, "You heard the girl. She hates you. She broke your heart. That doesn't seem right, does it? For her to break your heart?"

Danny gripped Sam's neck tighter.

"No… please…" he begged as Sam's eyes closed and her grip began to loosen, "No, Sam! Sam!"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"SAM!" Danny exclaimed as he shot up in his bed, finally awake from his nightmare.

Sweat and tears dripped down his face as he panted heavily. He took a moment a recollect himself and plopped his head back down on his pillow.

"Just a dream," he sighed, wiping his face, "Just a dream."

His eyes shot open and he sat back up.

"That's it!" he exclaimed as he went ghost and phased through the wall.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few miles outside of Amity Park, Danny Phantom was floating high in the predawn air and looking at a train trestle down below. A moment later, Logan Specter arrived and floated next to him.

"Is this the place?" Specter asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied, "You have the Orb?"

Specter held up his hand and showed Danny the yellow Orb of Power.

"Yeah, it looked _exactly _like that," said Danny glancing over at the Orb, "It was red though."

Specter stored the Orb away.

"Let's take a look," he said.

Phantom nodded and led Specter down to the river below. Once there, they started scanning the grounds along the river.

"I'm not seein' anything, Phantom," said Specter, "Are you sure this was the last place you saw it?"

"I'm sure," Danny said nervously as he reached down and picked something up, "And you're not gonna like this."

Specter raised an eyebrow and looked over at Danny. Phantom turned around and showed Specter a fragment of the crystal ball staff in his hand.

"I don't see any signs of the crystal ball," said Danny as the two half-ghosts looked around nervously.

"Not… good," said Specter.

***Cue Intro***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Danny Phantom in: All Actions Have Consequences (Episodes 59 and 60)**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Morning arrived in Amity Park. At the Fenton Works, Jazz walked into the kitchen and found Danny sitting at the table, playing with his cereal.

"Morning, Danny," she said.

"Morning," he replied.

"You look tired," she said as she grabbed a bagel from the cupboard, "Rough night?"

"Nightmare," Danny yawned.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jazz asked as she sat down next to Danny and took a bite out of her bagel.

"Freakshow took over my mind with his crystal ball and forced me to kill mom and dad," Danny told her as he rested his head on his hand and swirled his spoon around in his cereal.

"That's it?" Jazz asked.

"Well, no…" Danny admitted, "Before that, I had told mom and dad my secret. You know, me being Danny Phantom?"

Danny paused, not sure if he wanted to tell Jazz the rest.

"And they didn't accept you?" she guessed.

"Yeah," Danny sighed.

"Danny, that will never happen. Mom and dad love you," said Jazz, "And if you decide to tell them, you'll have me and your friends to be there to support you. And so will our parents."

"Somehow I doubt that," Danny muttered as he slumped in his seat and glanced away, "You've heard all the things mom and dad have said they'll do to me if they catch Phantom. What makes you think they'll actually believe that I'm not possess by some _'evil'_ or _'vile'_ ghost?"

"Oh, come on," said Jazz as she finished her bagel, "Have a little faith. I'm sure they'll accept you for who you are."

As soon as Jazz finished talking, Jack and Maddie entered the kitchen.

"I'm telling you, Jack, we didn't calibrate the lower half of the suit yet," Maddie told him.

"And I'm telling you that we did!" Jack exclaimed, "It was the last thing we did in the lab last night! Or was it the second to last?"

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your father wants to test out the lower portion of the new Ecto-Skeleton we've built," Maddie explained, "He thinks we calibrated the neural interface, but we haven't yet."

"Maddie," said Jack, "I love you. And I know you love me. But I'm telling you, _I'm _right!"

"The Ecto-Skeleton?" Jazz asked, "You mean that giant robot suit you guys lost last year?"

"We didn't lose it, Jazz," said Maddie, "It was _stolen_. By that no-good ghost-boy!"

"That's right," said Jack, "That ghost stole our original Ecto=Skeleton and tried to use it to take over the world!"

Danny's face turned glum as he glanced away. Jazz noticed and turned back to her parents.

"What? Take over the world?" she asked, "I thought he saved Amity Park?"

"Don't be so easily deceived, Jazzerincess," said Jack, "That ghost kid is nothing but trouble. But, don't you worry; once your mother and I have captured him, we'll make sure he's been dealt with."

"Dealt with?" Jazz asked nervously as she bit her lower lip.

"Oh, you know, dissect him, experiment on him, see what makes him so _evil_," Maddie listed out as she poured herself and Jack a cup of coffee.

Jack immediately grabbed his mug and chugged the drink down. No one noticed Danny getting up and leaving the kitchen.

"Don't you guys think that's a _little _extreme?" Jazz asked.

"Nope!" Jack exclaimed, "Now that I've had my morning cup of Joe, let's get back to testing out those pants!"

Jack hightailed it out of the kitchen, with Maddie quickly chasing after him.

"Jack, no!" she exclaimed, "The suit isn't ready yet!"

Jazz sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, Danny," she said as she turned to face him, "Don't let what they- huh?"

She noticed Danny was nowhere in sight.

"Danny?"

Up in his room, Danny was lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. A knock came from his door and Jazz entered.

"Danny?"

"Told you," he said.

"Maybe if you told them…" she suggested but stopped when Danny turned his back to her.

Jazz pondered for a second before giving him a sympathetic smile.

"Remember the time when they found out during the whole Reality Gauntlet thing," she asked.

"Yeah? Well, I erased everyone's memories of that event," Danny snapped, "Except for ours, and Tucker's , and Sam's."

Jazz sat down on the bed and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "Maybe now isn't the best time to talk about that. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me about your nightmare?"

"Eh," Danny shrugged, "I've told you everything."

"Did you?" Jazz smirked.

"Yeah," Danny replied as he rolled onto his back again, "What more is there to talk about?"

"Well, why did you scream Sam's name this morning?"

Danny's eyes widened and a small blush appeared on his face.

"What? No! I didn't say Sam's name," he exclaimed, "Why would I do that? It's not like she was in my dream or anything."

Jazz raised an eyebrow and Danny sighed.

"Okay, so… I may have… been ordered to strangle Sam," he admitted, "With my bare hands."

"Oh," Jazz exclaimed, "I'm… sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's fine, Jazz," said Danny, "You were just worried about me."

"That's what big sisters do," she smiled, "Want to tell me why you were thinking about our parents and Sam?"

Danny remained silent for a moment.

"The last time I saw Valerie, she made me promise to think about telling Sam how I feel," he explained before looking over to his sister, "Judging by how everyone acts, I'm guessing it's obvious that I like her, huh?"

"Wasn't that hard, little brother," said Jazz, "So… are you going to tell her?"

"That's the thing; what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she just likes me as a friend?"

Jazz rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"So clueless," she said under her breath.

"What?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," said Jazz, "What's the harm in telling her? It's not like she won't stop being your friend if that happens."

"But what if you're wrong?" Danny asked, "I mean, wouldn't it be better to remain as friends instead of risking our friendship?"

***Beep-Beep***

Before Jazz could answer, Danny's phone alerted him of a text message. He reached over and grabbed his phone.

"It's Sam," he said, "She says Trevor wants to know if we've found any more information on the Orbs of Power. He was really worried when we realized the crystal ball was missing."

"What?" Jazz asked.

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you," said Danny, "After my nightmare, I remembered the crystal ball Freakshow used to control me. I remembered that it looked like the one of the Orbs of Power, so I took Trevor over to where I last saw it and we discovered the ball fragments were gone. All we found was a small fragment of the staff."

"That's not good," said Jazz, "You probably should have led with that story first, Danny. You think Reaper found it?"

"I hope not," said Danny as he got up from his bed, "Have you found anything?"

"I think so," said Jazz, "Can I see your computer for a sec?"

Danny nodded and walked over to his desk to grab his laptop. He started it up and typed in his password before handing it to Jazz.

"Okay, so I did some digging and could only find this old picture," she explained as she showed Danny the image.

It appeared to be an old tapestry depicting six different colored spheres surrounding a rainbow one. They were floating around an altar, where a crowned ruler stood behind each of the six orbs. One of the rulers had red eyes.

"Weird," Danny commented.

"I couldn't find anything else," said Jazz, "Maybe Trevor might make something out of this."

"Maybe," said Danny, "Only one way to find out."

A white ring appeared around his body and he turned into Danny Phantom. He grabbed his laptop from Jazz and prepared to fly off.

"Danny, wait," said Jazz as she grabbed his shoulders from behind.

"What?" he asked.

Jazz smiled and leaned to down, giving him a kiss on the back of his head. Danny was momentarily surprised before softly smiling from the gesture.

"Just so you remember that I'll always be there to support you… little brother," she told him before she turned and left his room.

Danny looked away and smiled. Suddenly, his widened and he wiped his head.

"Ew! Gross!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, knock it off, Danny!" Jazz shouted from the hallway, "I know you liked it!"

Danny glanced at the door for a moment before smiling again. He phased through the wall and flew off for Sam's place. On the roof of the Fenton Works, Magnus watched Phantom fly off and silently followed him as he turned invisible.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At Sam's place, Trevor had borrowed Sam's computer to research the Orbs. He, Sam, and Dust were all in her room, but the owner wasn't focusing on what Trevor was telling her as she laid in bed.

"Maybe it was used by an ancient cult?" Trevor suggested, "Or even a monastery?"

"Maybe," Sam replied.

"Maybe they're from the Ghost Zone?" Dust suggested as she cleaned her feathers, "Clockwork told you they were relics from the Ghost Zone, right?"

"Yeah, but he meant their paranormal and supernatural abilities on both humans and ghosts," Trevor explained, "Although… the Ghost Zone would be a great place to hide them. Maybe someone there knows where they're located."

"Yeah, that's fine," Sam said, distracted.

Trevor and Dust glanced over to the goth and stared at her.

"Yeah, and maybe Reaper can kill your boyfriend and make you his slave," said Trevor.

"Good plan," said Sam.

Trevor held his hands and expressed exasperation with Sam.

"_Dust," _he said psychically, _"Get Sam's attention before I have an aneurysm pop, will ya?"_

"_On it," _Dust replied as her body was surrounded by a lavender aura and morphed into a black cat with green eyes.

Dust slid off Trevor's shoulder and made her way over to Sam's bed. Sam was busy staring at the class ring Danny had her keep safe. Dust hopped up onto the bed and put her front paws on Sam's stomach.

"Oh, hey there, kitty," said Sam before her eyes widened, "Wait, I don't own a cat."

Sam blinked at the cat a couple of times before Dust meowed at her. The goth freaked out and jumped out of her bed, accidentally launching Dust off the bed as well, but she landed on all her paws, unharmed. Sam collected herself and stared at the cat for a moment.

"Dust?" she asked.

"Yes," she replied, "Now, will you stop staring at that ring and help us out."

Sam glanced over at Trevor, who had his head resting in his hand as he watched the scene.

"That wasn't what I meant at all, Dust," he said flatly, "But that was mildly amusing."

He then turned to Sam.

"What could you have possibly been so intrigued by that was more important than looking for Reaper and keeping the Orbs of Power away from him?" he asked.

Sam looked down at her fist and opened her hand to reveal the class ring.

"What is that, a promise ring?" Trevor asked, "I wasn't aware that you and Danny were going to get engaged, let alone dating."

"We're not dating!" Sam exclaimed, "And it's not a promise ring, it's a class ring."

Trevor took the ring and examined it as Dust morphed back into her raven form and perched on Trevor's shoulder.

"This inscribed name…" he said.

"Yeah, 'Wes'," said Sam, "I don't know why his father put that name on there. Probably belonged to one of his classmates and they accidentally mixed them up."

Trevor gave Sam a perplexed look before shaking his head in defeat.

"Clueless," he muttered as he handed it back to Sam.

"What?" she asked as she examined the ring, "Am I missing something?"

"No, you're lookin' at it," Dust muttered, "Literally staring you right in the face."

Sam raised an eyebrow as she looked at the ring again.

"Why are you even interested in that class ring?" Trevor asked.

"Well… I've been thinking," Sam explained, "About the future. _My _future."

Trevor remained silent as he waited for Sam to continue.

"As you told me before, I'm not around in the future," said Sam, "But now that the timeline has been changed, I was thinking more about what my future will be."

Trevor rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Let's skip to the obvious," he said, "You like Danny, don't you?"

"He's my friend, of course I like him," Sam replied.

"He means you love him," Dust clarified, making Sam blush.

"WHAT!?" Sam exclaimed, "Pfft, really? Me and Danny? Ha! That's, uh, that's a good one, guys."

Trevor and Dust deadpanned as Sam smiled nervously.

"I should slap you, Manson," said Trevor, "but then I'd never hear the end of it from everyone."

"Trevor, I'm not-!" said Sam.

"Yes, you are!" Trevor yelled, "You two always act different when you two are alone. Like 3 days ago, when you two were on patrol together and were after Desiree."

Sam's eyes widened.

"You two holding hands? Yeah, I saw it," said Trevor, "You two literally were a hair away from making out. You two looked like a couple of cherries based on how red your faces were."

Sam sighed.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"Even someone who was blind and deaf would have noticed from a mile away," said Trevor.

Sam dragged her toes back and forth across the ground.

"What do you think I should do?" she asked.

Trevor facepalmed.

"One, I'm not the best person to ask that question, since I have no experience," he answered, "Two, what the heck do you even think is the right thing to do?"

"Uh… remain as friends?" Sam shrugged.

"I can put you out of your misery right now if you want," Trevor said darkly.

"You think I should tell him?" Sam asked.

"No, I think you should rip your heart out and send it to the bottom of the sea," Trevor said sarcastically, "YES, YOU SHOULD TELL HIM!"

"But… what if he doesn't share my feelings?" Sam asked, "What if we can't be friends?"

"Jeez, Manson," Trevor groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "How cliché do think this is? Just tell him; either you get together or you remain as friends."

"But-"

"End of discussion," Trevor said sternly, making Sam stop.

He glanced over to the window and held up his hand.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

A moment later, a metal object spun through the air and Trevor caught it.

"Another failed attempt," he sighed as he showed Sam the object.

"Is that… a Booo-merang?" she asked.

"Yup," Trevor answered, "Such a stupid name."

"Agreed," Sam and Dust said at the same time.

Trevor sighed as he flung the Booo-merang out the window.

"Maybe I'll get lucky this time," he muttered.

"Did you ever text Danny and Tucker?" he asked Sam as he got up and walked towards the door.

"Yeah, they're on their way," Sam replied, "Where are you going?"

"I need some time to think," Trevor replied, "I'll be in the guestroom. Dust? Stay here with Sam."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I told you to," Trevor replied as he stopped before the bedroom door, "Did you want a tactical reason? Well, here it is; when I need to think, I do it best alone."

"That's an awful reason," said Dust as she flew over to Sam's bed.

"I know," Trevor replied, "Let me know when the others get here."

He left the two in Sam's room and closed the door behind him. A few moments later, Sam could hear "Enter Sandman" being played from the hall. Shel turned to Dust and raised her eyebrow.

"Who doesn't like Metallica?" Dust asked.

"Good point," said Sam.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A moment later, Tucker drove up to the Manson residence in his father's car and parked it. As he got out, he saw Danny flying overhead for a moment before he landed in front of him and reverted to human form.

"Found anything that will make Trevor happy?" Tucker asked.

"Is he ever happy?" Danny asked.

"Nope," Tucker replied.

"But to answer your question, Jazz showed me something," Danny continued, patting his laptop.

"Let's head on inside," said Tucker.

The two walked up to the front door and Danny rang the doorbell. As they waited for the door the be answered, Tucker noticed Danny acting anxious; swaying back and forth, looking around and pretending to be interested in the building design.

"What's with you, dude?" Tucker asked.

"Hm? What?" Danny asked.

"You're acting weird," said Tucker, "Something wrong?"

"What? I'm not acting weird," Danny said, somewhat quickly, "I'm just… waiting for Sam."

Tucker smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Mm-hmm…" he hummed, "Sure it has nothing to do with you having feelings for her?"

Danny looked away, blushing.

"I knew it," Tucker teased, "You finally going to tell her?"

"Shut up, Tucker," Danny muttered.

The door opened and Danny and Tucker noticed Sam, with Dust on her shoulder.

"Hey, we're upstairs," she told them and welcomed them in.

Danny quickly walked past Sam, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"What's with him?" she asked Tucker.

"He's nervous," Tucker smirked.

"About what?" Sam asked.

"I dunno," Tucker shrugged, still smiling as he walked past Sam and Dust.

Sam blinked a couple of times before she closed the door. She led the guys upstairs and approached the guestroom. Sam knocked on the door but no answer.

"Trevor! Danny and Tucker are here!" she called out, but there was no answer.

_Exit light_

_Enter night_

_Grain of sand_

"Trevor!?" Sam called out again before she opened the door.

_Exit Light_

_Enter Night_

_Take my hand_

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

Everyone's jaw dropped when they saw Trevor playing "Enter Sandman" on a holographic drum set. Although he was playing the drums, the rest of the song was coming from a holographic speaker next to his seat. His back was towards them, so he didn't see them enter.

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

_Take my hand_

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

_Take my hand_

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

_We're off to Never-, Neverland_

As the song ended, Trevor dropped his arms to his sides and sighed. When Danny, Tucker, and Sam began clapping, he spun around in his seat and looked at them.

"That was awesome!" Danny exclaimed.

"Where did you learn that!?" Sam asked.

"Are those holographic drums!?" Tucker asked.

Trevor nervously stared at the group as he quickly pressed a button on one of his drumsticks, causing the holographic drums and speaker to vanish. Dust flew over and landed on his shoulder.

"Sorry, I, uh… didn't hear you knock," Trevor said, embarrassed as he folded the sticks and placed them inside his bag, "So… did you guys find anything?"

The trio smirked at one another.

"I think we _all _found something interesting," Dust smirked.

"Are you embarrassed?" Sam teased, "Did we find Trevor Spectre having fun and is too shy to admit it?"

"Fun? No. Embarrassed? Yes, I am," Trevor said bluntly and with a deadpan, "Can we move on now? We have a psychotic killer ghost to find."

The gang was a bit surprised by Trevor's harsh honesty.

"Uh, yeah, actually, we did- well, _Jazz _did," said Danny as he opened his laptop, "Take a look."

Everyone gathered around and took a look.

"Jazz found this image of an old tapestry that had the Orbs of Power on it," Danny explained.

"Hmm… I think I've seen something like this before," said Sam.

"You have? Where?" Tucker asked.

"Follow me," Sam told them as she made her way to the door.

Danny, Tucker, and Trevor followed Sam downstairs, where she led them through a set of double doors and into a large library.

"Impressive," Trevor complimented.

"My books are over here," Sam told them as she walked over to the section that was filled with gothic books, "I faintly remember seeing that same image in one of my books years ago."

"Do you remember the title?" Dust asked.

"I don't," Sam admitted as she grabbed a book off the shelf, "But with the five of us, we should be able to find it."

As Trevor lifted one of his hands up and telekinetically grabbed a book off the shelf while his free hand grabbed another one next to him. The floating book had a blue aura around it as he held it in front of Dust to read.

"Well, we better get to it then," said Danny as he and Tucker each grabbed a book.

As the minutes passed, the team went through dozens of books, but had no luck finding the one Sam was referring to. Slowly, Trevor, Dust, and Tucker were distancing themselves from Danny and Sam as the search continued. Occasionally, Danny and Sam would glance over at each other when the other wasn't looking. Then, they both glanced over at the same time, causing Danny and Sam to look away and slightly blush.

"You sure do have a lot of books, Sam," Danny said as he grabbed another book.

"Yeah, uh, I guess I do," Sam replied, "Sure will take us a while to get through all of them."

"Well, just the ones like you," he said.

Sam looked over and raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"Pretty," Danny replied.

He quickly realized what he said and panicked.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Uh, gothic!" said Danny, "I said pretty gothic."

Sam blinked a couple of times.

"Uh… okay?" she said as she put her book away and grabbed another.

She glanced at the cover, which read _Kiss of Death: Gothic Love_. She briefly blushed again before quickly putting the book back on the shelf.

"You're not going to look through that one?" Danny asked.

"Uh, it's just a novel," Sam replied, "No illustrations."

Danny glanced back at his book as Sam went to grab another book. She glanced back at the book she just put back and her face fell.

"No romance for me," she said quietly.

"_When Vlad kidnapped you a few days ago… I don't think you were supposed to be… saved," _Trevor's words echoed in her mind.

Sam sighed and pulled another of her books off the shelf.

"You okay?" Danny asked as she flipped through the book, "You seem unhappy."

"I'm a goth, remember?" Sam smirked, "We always look unhappy."

"You actually look down, Sam," said Danny, "Is something wrong?"

The pages in Sam's book stopped flipping and she leaned her back against the bookshelf.

"Danny, can I ask you something?" Sam asked.

"Sure," he replied, "Anything."

"Do you ever think about the future?" she asked, "_Your _future?"

Danny stared at Sam for a moment.

"Is this because of the war in the future?" he asked, "I think we'll be able to avoid that when the time comes."

Sam glanced away.

"I mean…" she began, "Where do you see yourself ten years from now?"

Danny glanced away and pondered for a moment.

"I honestly haven't given it much thought," he admitted, "But there is something that's been on my mind lately."

"And what would that be?" Sam asked.

"Well, I haven't made a decision yet, but I've been thinking about telling my parents my secret," he explained.

"And you're worried about how they'll react?" Sam asked.

Danny nodded.

"Danny, your parents love you," said Sam, "They'll understand if you explain what happened in the lab that day. Do you really think your parents would do something to you?"

"I'm not sure," he said, "I mean, I'm sure we'll still be friends and hang out and kick ghost butt, with or without them."

"Well, you guys will," Sam replied softly.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

At that moment, Magnus peered inside with his head phased through the wall. His eye narrowed as he watched everyone search through books. Sam didn't reply to Danny's question and remained glum. Danny put his book away and walked over to her.

"Sam?"

"It's nothing, Danny," she said, "Don't worry about it."

"Sam, you've had something on your mind for over a week now," said Danny, "I know you, and I'm worried about you."

Sam looked over at Danny and sighed.

"Remember when Trevor told us about the future?" she asked, "How you still protect the world and deal with ghost threats?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I noticed that he mentioned Tucker and Valerie helping you, but he never mentioned me," she explained, "It wasn't until later when he told me that… well… I'm not around."

"What, like, not around to help?" Danny asked, "It's not like he meant you were , you know, dead."

Sam didn't reply.

"Wait, is that what happened?" Danny asked, concerned.

"Remember when Vlad had that syringe to my neck?"

Danny's eyes widened for a moment before he glared angrily; his eyes glowing green.

"Yeah," Sam sighed, "If it weren't for Trevor…"

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they returned to their normal baby blue color.

"I guess I owe him big time," he said before turning to Sam, "for saving my best friend."

He paused for a moment.

"Remind me to give Vlad another beating the next time I see him," he told Sam.

"Count on it," Sam chuckled as put her book away.

"And don't worry about the future, Sam," said Danny, "Nothing will happen to you. I'll make sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?" Sam asked as she ran her hand over the spines of the books on the shelf.

"Because…" Danny began, not really paying attention as he did the same thing, "Because you're the most important-"

Danny's hand accidentally went on hers as they both went to grab the same book. They looked at each other and blushed.

"Uh…" said Danny.

Sam's eyes darted between his eyes and their hands. Danny nervously debated what to do. A moment later, he swallowed hard.

"Sam…?" Danny began, "Would you like to-"

"Found it!" Tucker shouted, causing Danny and Sam to jump, ruining their moment.

"Wow," said Trevor, who was standing a couple of feet away from them, "What a way to ruin the moment, huh?"

Trevor and Dust made their way over to Tucker as Danny and Sam quickly pulled their hands away and blushed.

"Sorry about that," said Danny.

"No, no, it was my fault," Sam chuckled, "Um… we should see what Tucker found."

"Yeah," Danny said as he rubbed the back of his head, "We, uh… yeah, let's do that."

Sam walked away and Danny slapped himself across the face.

"Smooth, Fenton," he muttered to himself, "Real smooth."

He joined the others as Tucker handed Sam the book.

"_Gothic Tales and Legends_?" she read, "Haven't touched this one in a long time."

Trevor raised an eyebrow as Sam flipped through the pages.

"Why does that book sound familiar?" he asked himself quietly.

"There," said Tucker, putting a finger on the page, "That's the one."

Everyone took a look at the illustration.

"Are those…?" Danny asked.

"The Orbs of Power," Trevor breathed.

The illustration showed what appeared to be six kings, each holding an Orb, and a wizard standing nearby with a green vortex over his head.

"What text does it belong to?" Trevor asked.

"Ummm… this one," said Sam, "It's called 'The Legend of the Orbs of Power'."

"Let's hear it," said Dust.

"Thousands of years ago…" Sam read.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"… _the world was in turmoil. The lands were plagued by famine and scarce resources."_

The earth was covered in dust and ash.

"_Mountains of fire had erupted everywhere, blackening the sky and filling the air with ash."_

Six kings sat around a stone table, surrounded by the people they governed. The rulers were all shouting at each other about how to survive.

"_The kings of the six kingdoms of the world had met together to work together to find a solution to these harsh times. However, instead of working together, they argued; bringing their kingdoms closer and closer to war with one another."_

One of the kings drew out his sword and challenged another from the opposite end of the table. He accepted the challenge and drew out his own blade. The remaining kings either picked sides or pleaded for peace. Suddenly, a bright light appeared from down the grand stone steps and an elderly man with a huge grey beard slowly approached.

"_When all seemed doomed, a spark of hope appeared. A wise wizard from the mountains came down and offered a solution."_

The kings all looked at one another before settling down and returning to their seats. The wizard slowly approached.

"_The wizard told of an ancient ritual that would grant the kings unimaginable power; power that would help repair the lands and enrich the earth with almost endless resources. The kings discussed the option for a night before accepting."_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sometime later, the kings and the wizard were at the peak of a mountain, which towered above the border that connected all six kingdoms. The skies had momentarily ceased the black snowfall and the winds had died down as well. The wizard's hands were glowing green as a large green rune appeared on the ground around him.

"_On top of the world, the kings and the wizard began the ritual. The unearthly green glow from the wizard's hands unsettled some of the rulers. The wizard instructed the rulers to stand around him equal distance from each other, within the rune."_

One by one, the kings began to approach the wizard and took their places around the rune. The wizard smiled and began to chant in a language no one understood.

"_The ritual was commencing and the clouds above began to swirl. Lightning cracked across the sky as a swirling green vortex appeared above them."_

A ghost portal appeared above the kings and the wizard.

"_The wizard asked for assistance from those on the 'other side', to provide a means to save the kingdoms and their lands."_

The portal began to glow brighter before six white orbs descended slowly down towards the kings.

"_The beings responded by providing each king with a relic of immense power: The Orbs of Power."_

Each king held an orb in their hands. A faint aura surrounded them, imbuing the kings with power. The each turned around to face their respected kingdoms and held out the orbs.

"_Together, the kings used the Orbs to return the lands to their former glory. The rivers flowed with crystal clear water, the dark clouds vanished, and the air was clean, and the farmlands were all overrun with a surplus of crops."_

The kings looked around and celebrated in the miracle they have provided for all their people.

"_With the lands now restored, the wizard asked the kings to now return the Orbs to whence they came. The kings agreed and returned to their positions around the rune."_

All the kings held up the Orbs towards the portal and prepared to return them.

"_But one king became intoxicated with the power the Orb had granted him. And he wanted more."_

As five of the kings released their Orbs and they slowly began to ascend, the last king kept his hands on his Orb and drew out his sword.

"_No longer harnessing the power of the Orbs, the other kings were slaughtered quickly by the traitor."_

The five kings were sprawled out on the snowy ground as the traitor held up his Orb and brought the remaining five to him.

"_The traitor, deemed the Overlord, brought all six Orbs together; fusing them into one powerful relic: a true Orb of Power."_

A black aura surrounded the Overlord and black armor encased his body. His sword began to glow red with yellow flames. The Orb of Power rested within his chest plate and it began to g. The wizard tried to subdue him with his magic, but the Overlord shrugged it off and blasted the wizard with an energy blast from his hand.

"_With no other choice, the wizard performed the ritual one last time to stop the Overlord."_

The wizard held up his hands and pleaded for the Orbs to be destroyed and to stop the madman. Green lightning cracked from the ghost portal and the Orb began to crack.

"_The Orb began to break, but the Overlord wasn't about to let its power fall out of his hands."_

The Overlord turned and slashed his blade through the wizard. He fell to the ground as his last breath escaped his lungs. The Overlord began to laugh maniacally as dark brimstone castles began to rise from the ground around the mountain. Nearby, hiding behind some rocks was a young man, who appeared to be of royalty.

"_Unbeknownst to the Overlord, the son of one of the kings he had slain had followed his father, even against his wishes, and witnessed everything."_

The prince drew his sword and quietly snuck up behind the Overlord as dark clouds blocked out the sun and rain began to pour down across the lands, soaking the Overlord and the prince.

"_As he prepared to stab the Overlord in the back, the traitor spun around and disarmed the prince."_

The prince watched as his sword spun through the air and disappeared over the edge. He turned and glared at his father's murderer as he reached behind and grabbed his concealed dagger. His hand swiped down towards the Overlord's chest, but he grabbed the young man's wrist and held him up in the air. The dagger fell from his hand and, with his opposite hand, the prince reverse gripped the weapon and shoved the blade through the Orb.

"_With a single stab, the prince managed to separate the Orb into six once more. However, the Orbs were now corrupted by the Overlord's dark influence and were each a unique color that represented different abilities."_

The black Orb began to shake before separating into six Orbs; yellow, red, blue, green, purple, and white. A bolt of lightning shot out of the ghost portal and arced across the six Orbs. The Overlord watched in horror as they began to glow brighter and brighter. The prince fell to the ground and covered his eyes as the light engulfed the top of the mountain. When it ceased, he opened his eyes. The Overlord was gone, as were the Orbs. He rushed over to his father's body and knelt down beside it.

"_When the prince opened his eyes, the Overlord, the portal, and the Orbs of Power had vanished."_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Since then, no one has seen the Orbs of Power since," Sam continued reading, "but it is said that whoever collects all six Orbs will be granted the powers of a god."

"… And?" Trevor asked with hinted irritation, "Does it say anything about where they could be found?"

"No, that's it," Sam told him, showing him the book.

"Wonderful," he muttered, "So basically we're back at square one. That's just fan-tastic."

"Sam, could I see that for a sec?" Danny asked, pointing at the book.

"Sure, Danny," Sam replied as she handed him the book, "Why?"

"Hmm…" Danny hummed as he looked at the picture again, "Does this picture look strange to anyone else?"

Tucker glanced over and took a look.

"Yeah, it does," he said, "I feel like there's something familiar about some of things in the background, behind the Orbs."

Sam, Trevor, and Dust looked over as well.

"Isn't that the crystal ball staff?" Sam asked, pointing to a strange object next to the red Orb.

"And isn't that the Statue of Liberty?" Trevor asked as he pulled out his cellphone and took a picture of the image, "If this picture is what I think it is, then that would explain why Reaper went to New York City first. I thought he was messing with me. Did he know where the Orb of Strength was?"

Trevor then raised an eyebrow.

"Wait… how did the artist even know what the Statue of Liberty would look like?" he asked.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Dust asked.

"Yeah," Danny replied, "This isn't just a depiction of the Orbs of Power. It's-"

Suddenly, Danny's ghost sense went off.

"A map," said a voice behind the group.

Everyone whipped around and gasped when they saw Reaper, Magnus, and Vlad Plasmius floating behind them.

"Reaper," Trevor growled.

"You look better, Trevor," the murderous ghost smirked, "I see that your neck injury is gone."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had it to begin with," Trevor remarked before psychically communicated with Dust, _"Stay with Tucker and Sam."_

"_Got it," _she replied and flew over to Sam's shoulder.

"You work for Reaper now?" Danny asked Vlad.

"I prefer the term _partnered _with, Daniel," Vlad smiled.

"What do you guys want?" Danny asked.

"You know what we want," Vlad answered, "Now, be a good little badger and give us the book."

"No way, Plasmius," said Danny.

A white ring and a light blue ring appeared around the respected half-ghosts and they turned into Danny Phantom and Logan Specter.

"Ooh, synchronous transformations," Magnus noted, "Quite a show."

Tucker and Sam slowly began to back away towards the door. Magnus glanced over and teleported behind them.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, startling the two teens.

Specter quickly spun around and held out his hand. It began to glow blue and a blue aura surrounded Magnus, immobilizing him in place.

"Hm," Specter smirked before he turned back around and swung his hand towards Reaper.

Magnus was flung through the air and would have collided into Reaper had the ghost not gone intangible and Magnus passed through him and crashed into one of the bookcases. Sam winced at the damage done. Reaper turned around to see what had happened before looking back at his archenemy.

"I see that you've fully recovered," said Reaper, "Can't really say the same about your sister."

Specter's eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed in anger and burned a cerulean blue color.

"You leave Alexis out of this, Reaper," he growled.

"Alexis?" Reaper smirked, "I was referring to _Justine_."

Specter clenched his fists and cerulean flames began to burn around them.

"What did you just say?" he asked darkly.

Reaper smirked.

"I said you can't say the same about your sis-"

***WUMP!***

In a blink of an eye, Specter had made a duplicate of himself directly behind Reaper and his body dashed forward into the duplicate and punched Reaper directly in the face. The ghost slammed into Magnus and they both knocked over another bookcase. If it weren't for his heightened reflexes, Danny would have thought that Specter had teleported across the room. Reaper floated back up and shook his head.

"Hit a nerve?" he taunted.

"Shut up," Specter growled before he grabbed Reaper with his telekinesis and threw him against the wall.

Specter sighed as he turned to Sam.

"Sorry ahead of time for the damage," he said, "I'll see if Dust can fix the damage once we're done here."

Sam turned to Dust and raised an eyebrow. Dust appeared surprised by what Logan said.

"What?" he asked, "You thought I wouldn't figure it out?"

"Specter, watch out!" Tucker warned.

***WHAM***

Magnus had teleported behind Specter and kicked him away. He went flying across the room and knocked over a bookshelf. Vlad and Reaper took the opportunity to double team against Danny and charged toward him. The half-ghost hero held up his hands and blasted the two with his ghost rays and causing them to crash into another bookshelf.

"You guys need to get out of here," Danny told the others, "Keep that book safe while Specter and I deal with this."

"But, Danny-" Sam began to argue.

Phantom had already flown away to deal with Vlad and Reaper.

"Come on," Sam told Tucker, "I have some stuff in my room we can use to help."

"Didn't Danny tell us he and Specter will handle this?" Tucker asked as he followed Sam.

"Since when do ghosts come and attack at _my _house?" Sam asked.

"Can't argue that," Tucker noted as he and Sam left the library.

Specter and Magnus were dashing all over the place, trying to outmaneuver the other. Specter finally stopped and did a spin kick behind himself just as Magnus teleported behind him.

"Oooohhhh…" Magnus moaned.

Specter hit the necromancer with an electrified ghost ray, sending him back into the pile of debris. A purple ghost ray flew by Specter's head. He turned and saw Phantom and Plasmius battling it out. Vlad fired a powerful ghost ray from his hands and Danny responded by surrounding himself with his ghost shield. The attacked deflected back to Vlad, hitting him straight in the chest.

"Not bad, Phantom," Specter told him as he flew to his side.

"I could say the same to you," Danny smirked, "What was that thing you did to Reaper?"

"I call it 'blinking'," Specter replied, "I can quickly go to wherever I have a duplicate placed at very high speeds."******

"And yet you are still too slow," said Reaper as he charged the two from behind.

Danny and Logan quickly turned towards Reaper and punched him in the face at the same time, sending him flying into a wall.

"Look who's calling who 'slow'," Danny quipped.

Logan glanced over his shoulder and saw Vlad and Magnus floating up to them.

"This is not at all what I meant when I said I wanted Reaper found immediately," he muttered to himself.

Upstairs, Sam led Tucker into her room and pulled a chest out from under her bed. She opened it, grabbed something, and tossed it to Tucker.

"You kept this?" Tucker asked, holding the Fenton Wrist Ray in his hands.

"More like Danny never asked for it back," Sam smirked as she pulled out the Fenton Ghost Blaster from under the bed.*******

"Or _that_!?" Tucker exclaimed, "What else are you still holding onto that's his!?"

"Besides the class ring, nothing else," Sam replied, "Just be careful with that."

"Relax, Sam," Tucker smiled as he put the Wrist Ray on, "When it comes to technology, I'm always-"

***PEW***

Tucker accidentally fired the weapon, destroy a lamp on Sam's desk.

"… careful?" Tucker finished.

Sam glared at Tucker as she pushed the chest back under the bed.

"Come on," Sam grumbled, pulling Tucker away by his wrist, "Let's give you some _real _targets before you destroy any more of my room."

"Hold on, Sam," said Dust, "Give me the book. I can keep it safe until the others have left."

Sam reached behind and pulled out the book.

"You sure, Dust?" Sam asked as she handed the book over.

"I'm certain," Dust replied as she flapped in the air and grabbed the book with her talons.

The ghost raven went intangible and vanished into the ceiling.

"We better get back downstairs," said Tucker.

A loud crash was heard and the two ran out the room.

"And fast," Sam added.

Back in the library, Phantom and Specter were pinned down behind some bookshelves. Reaper and Vlad were relentlessly firing ghost rays at Danny while Logan was keeping an electrified yellow ghost wolf and an icy blue tiger away.

"Hey, Phantom?" Specter called out as he pushed the wolf's head away from his neck, "Little help?"

Danny glanced over and fired a ghost ray at the wolf, blasting it off Specter.

"Thanks."

Specter turned around in time to see the tiger leaping towards him.

"Eat this," he growled and fired a blue pyrokinetic ghost ray at the tiger.

The ghost animal skidded to a halt and had the expression of a deer in the headlights as the attack collided with it. The ghost creation melted and evaporated in the heat. Meanwhile, Vlad was getting closer and closer to where Danny and Logan were held down.

"I see you, little badger," Vlad taunted and fired a ghost ray at Danny.

Danny turned and his hands out to block the attack. His hands began to glow green and the ghost ray hit his left hand. Instead of harming him, it transferred over to his other hand and was fired back at Vlad. Vlad's eyes widened in surprised just a moment before he was hit. Danny opened his eyes and looked at his hands in confusion.

"What the…? A new ghost power?" Danny asked.

Specter blinked over to Danny, slightly startling him.

"Looks like you have the power to absorb energy attacks and redirect them," he explained, "Which is not the same as how I can _conserve _energy."********

"Exactly how many more powers will I have?" Danny asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Logan replied with a small smirk.

Vlad recovered and growled at Danny.

"You think you can use my own tactics against me?" Vlad asked.

***PEW***

A ghost ray hit Vlad in the back, making him bump into Reaper. The two villains looked over and saw Tucker and Sam aiming their weapons at them.

"Mind if we tag in?" Tucker asked.

"Actually, yes, I do," Specter replied as he poked his head out from cover, "But since you guys are already here…"

"_I have the book," _Dust psychically told Specter.

"_Stay out of sight," _Specter ordered and turned to Danny.

"Ready to kick some bad guy butt?" Phantom smirked.

The ghost wolf began sprinting towards them. Specter created a duplicate in front of the wolf, blinked over, and kicked it into Magnus before blinking back to Danny.

"Always," Logan replied.

The two halfas jumped out of cover and flew towards Reaper while Tucker and Sam fired their weapons at Vlad. Magnus, now covered in ectoplasm, wiped himself off and glanced up towards the ceiling.

"Hmm…" he wondered.

Plasmius attempted to fire another ghost ray at the group, but Sam stopped him with a blast from the Ghost Blaster. He fell to the ground and began to breathe heavily. Meanwhile, Danny and Specter where trading off hits against Reaper. Danny punched the ghost in the gut and Specter blinked above him and hammer kicked him down towards the ground. Reaper slammed into the ground and slowly picked himself up. Dust phased through the ceiling and landed on Sam's shoulder.

"He did it?" Dust asked, "He's defeated Reaper?"

"It would seem so," Danny answered as he floated next to Sam.

"And all it took was destroying half the library," Sam moaned as she looked around at the destruction.

"I can help with that," said Dust.

A moment later, the ghost raven was surrounded in a deep purple aura and a dark pink rune appeared her.

"Miopiar akula vinaquirem!" Dust chanted and her eyes began to glow purple.

Across the library, books and shelves that had been damaged were surrounded by the same purple aura and began to move back into place. Within seconds, the library had been restored.

"Wow…" Sam said in awe, "You fixed everything!"

"Told ya she could do it," Specter said over his shoulder, "We'll discuss your… _abilities _later, Dust."

"Uh… Sure…" Dust replied nervously.

Specter then turned his attention to Reaper.

"Had enough?" Specter asked as he pulled out his Fenton Thermos, "Because I have. And now it's time to end this."

Specter held out his hand and grabbed Reaper with his telekinesis. As he prepared to capture Reaper, no one noticed Magnus sneaking up from behind everyone and opening his book of spells.

"Boli kali ithikitalkus!" he chanted.

Dust's eyes widened as she spun her head around and saw Magnus launch the spell towards Specter. Everything appeared to have gone in slow motion; as the spell drew closer to Specter, Dust began to fly towards him. Danny, Tucker, and Sam watched the spell fly over their heads, Specter glanced over and saw the coming spell and Dust blocked the way. The spell hit Dust and a cage appeared around her, trapping her inside.

"Dust!" Specter shouted.

***WUMP***

Reaper bolted back up and punched Specter in the gut. He grabbed the halfa by the throat and pulled him close.

"Thanks for the gift," Reaper smirked as put his scythe away and grabbed the cage, "I'm going to enjoy getting her to talk."

Logan glared at Reaper and put his hands on his skull

"Burn," he growled and shot a stream of green flames directly into Reaper's face.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Reaper screamed and threw Specter away and into a bookshelf.

"Specter!" Danny exclaimed and flew towards Reaper, "You'll pay for that!"

Magnus suddenly teleported in front of Danny and kicked him away. Phantom landed on Logan and the two reverted back to their human form.

"Enough of this!" Reaper exclaimed as he tried to remove the blackened char off his face, "Magnus! Plasmius! We're leaving!"

Magnus and Vlad went to Reaper's sides and the magician created a rune around them.

"N… no!" Trevor exclaimed as he pushed Danny off of him and ran towards them, "Dust!"

Dust turned to Trevor and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Kiranann ta sular sinur ast!" Magnus chanted.

"_Chest," _Dust psychically told Trevor before she and the group of villains teleported away.

Trevor stopped in his tracks and fell to his knees.

"Dust…" he breathed and slammed his fist into the ground.

Tucker and Sam rushed over to Danny's side to help him up.

"Are you okay, Danny?" Sam asked.

"Uuuhhh…" Danny moaned, "Yeah, yeah… I'm fine. Where's…?"

Tucker and Sam lowered their heads; Danny looked over to Trevor and saw him on the ground.

"They got away," said Tucker.

"Along with the book," Sam added.

"And I can't psychically contact her," Trevor added.

"Great," Danny muttered, "So now we have to find Reaper, Dust, _and _the book?"

"Maybe not…" said Trevor as he got back up to his feet, "Before they left, Dust said 'chest' to me. I'm not sure what she's referring to, but it must mean something."

"I did just grab my stuff out of the chest in my room," said Sam, "Maybe it's in there?"

Suddenly, the library doors opened and the last two people the group needed to be there at the moment showed up.

"Sammy-kins!" Pamela called out, "We're home~!"

"We finished out business deals early so we could come home and-" Jeremy began to explain before he and his wife noticed the bookshelf and books on the ground.

The elder Mansons turned to Danny and glared at him as Tucker and Sam helped him up.

"Uhhh…" said Danny, "Look, I can explain! It was just an-"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Accident," Danny finished just as the front door slammed in his face.

He, Tucker, and Trevor were now standing in front of Sam's place, after being tossed out by Sam's parents.

"That went well," said Tucker, "So, what now?"

"If you really need to ask that question, Tucker, then you need help," Trevor remarked.

"Let's head for my place and come up with a plan there," said Danny.

The group barely began leaving when the front door opened, and Sam ran up to them.

"Guys! We have the book!" she exclaimed.

She held out the book and showed it to them.

"Where was it?" Trevor asked.

"In the chest, just like Dust said it would be," said Sam.

"Clever," said Trevor, "But we still need to find her!"

"But… where do we start?" Tucker asked.

Suddenly, a pair of clock hands appeared and spun around into a ghost portal. Before anyone could react, the team was pulled into the Ghost Zone.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Inside the Ghost Zone, the team found themselves in Clockwork's lair.

"Is _now _really a good time?" Trevor muttered.

"I'm afraid it is," said the elderly Clockwork, revealing himself and two Observants behind them.

"You're running out of time, Specter," the first Observant pointed out.

"Not only have you not captured Reaper, but you've lost your partner and have come no closer to capturing him!" the second remarked.

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed, "That wasn't his fault!"

Clockwork morphed into his infant form as he held his staff out in front of Danny. He shook his head to keep Danny and the others out of the conversation.

"That aside," the first continued, "we also cannot allow you to continue your mission if your need for revenge is com-"

"Stop. Right. _There_," Trevor said darkly, "My personal history is none of your business."

"It _is _our business if it involves the end of the world, Specter!" the second remarked.

"I'm doing the best I can," Trevor argued, "What do you want from me!?"

"You and Reaper gone, for one thing!" the first Observant shouted, "You've made no progress these past few days!"

"Oh, and you can do better!?" Trevor shot back as a light blue ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost.

"Mind your words, Specter," the second Observant warned, "We can send you away right now if you force us to."

"You know nothing about Reaper!" Specter shouted, "I'm the one who decided to come here at the last second! I'm to the one who's trying to save _your _future! I'm the one-"

"You think you're so special?" the second Observant asked.

"Clockwork, we've had enough of this child's incompetence!" the first Observant announced, "We order you to-"

Suddenly, Specter's eyes burned cerulean blue and his body began to give off the same colored flames.

"_**INCOMPETENCE!?" **_Specter roared, **"You think you two weaklings can do any better!? Prove it!"**

Specter reached into his suit and pulled out the yellow Orb of Power.

"**Here!" **he shouted as he tossed it to the Observants, **"You keep it safe! You do something productive! You want to judge me!? Let's talk about what you Observants have done to-"**

"That's enough, Logan," Clockwork said calmly.

Specter turned to face Clockwork; he was breathing heavily, and the flames were so hot that Danny and Tucker were beginning to sweat.

"Logan, come on," said Danny, "Let's get out of here."

Specter glanced over to the group and sighed.

"Send us to Danny's room," he told Clockwork.

"Okay," the ghost of time replied, "And don't worry; I'm sure you're doing the right thing."

Clockwork summoned a portal next to the group and they left.

"You're letting him go!?" the first Observant asked in disbelief.

Clockwork turned to the Observants and glared at them.

"You put too little faith in the boy," he sighed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Outside of Amity Park, Reaper and Magnus floated into their cave. They approached the altar and placed the cage holding Dust inside of it. She tried phasing through it intangibly but received a painful shock through her body when she touched the metal bars.

"Ecto-ranium," she muttered as she hopped back onto the swinging perch.

"Refined ecto-ranium," Magnus corrected, "My master was kind enough to supply me with all the ecto-ranium he had left to create this cage."

"Wait… you could have made another weapon, but instead you made this cage," said Dust, "Which means… ***Gasp*** You… planned this!?"

"Of course," said Reaper, "It would be impossible for me to get information out of Specter. But you?"

Magnus gave Reaper a look.

"What?" he asked, "I thought you were planning to use her as bait?"

"Oh, she will be," Reaper smiled, "But for now…"

He held out his scythe and stared at the ghost raven.

"A little bit of… convincing."

"Isn't that a… bit much?" Magnus asked.

Reaper glared at him.

"If you have a problem…" he said.

"I'll… check in with our associates," Magnus muttered as he floated away.

Reaper watched Reaper disappear before turning to Dust.

"Now… let's begin, little bird," he said darkly.

Dust glared at him.

"Do your worst," she hissed.

"With pleasure," Reaper smiled evilly as his shadow blanketed Dust's cage.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At the Fenton Works, Jazz was in her room, packing away everything she was taking with her for college. As she taped another box closed, her eyes glanced over towards her teddy bear, Bearbert Einstein, that was sitting on her bed.

"Don't worry, Bearbert," she smiled, "There's no way I'm putting you in a box."

She walked over and gave it a tight hug.

"You can sit with me on the plane."

She placed the bear back on the bed and picked up the box she just closed and carried it out of her room. She walked downstairs to the living room and placed the box next to a couple others she had packed.

"I'll tell you what, Maddie; once we get this suit finished, that ghost boy won't even stand a chance!" Jazz heard her father exclaim from the labs.

"Hm?" she hummed and walked down the steps.

"And with our latest invention, it will be a walk in the park to capture him," Maddie added.

Jazz entered the Fenton Lab and saw her parents working on different projects; Jack with the new Ecto-Skeleton and Maddie on something new.

"Okay, what are you two up to now?" she asked.

"Ah, Jazz!" Jack exclaimed, "Perfect timing! Your mother was just about the test out the latest in Fenton technology; the Fenton Goggles!"

"Alright," Jazz sighed, "What do they do?"

Maddie put down her soldering iron and held up a pair of goggles that appeared to be no different than the ones she normally wore, other than the lenses being a ghostly green color rather than red.

"They prevent ghosts from hypnotizing or taking control of the mind of anyone wearing them," she explained, "Your father and I have been theorizing why people think the ghost boy is considered a hero when he's clearly a threat to Amity Park."

"Uh…" said Jazz as she held up a finger, "maybe it's because-"

"Because he's been _hypnotizing _everyone!" Jack exclaimed, "And we won't let the people fall for his deception any longer."

He rushed over and grabbed the goggles out of Maddie's hands.

"With this baby, no ghost will hypnotize us!" he exclaimed and promptly placed them over his eyes, "Alright, Maddie, hit me!"

Maddie walked over to a large monitor and turned it on, playing a swirling black and white vortex on the screen. Jack stared at the screen as the lens on the goggles reflected the image projected on to them.

"Is it working?" Maddie asked.

Jack didn't respond.

"Jack?" Maddie asked, "Did they work?"

Jack's jaw went slack and drool began to hang from the side of his mouth. Maddie raised an eyebrow, turned off the monitor, and walked over to her husband.

"Jack?" she asked again.

She reached up and took the googles off, only to find Jack was mindlessly staring at the black screen.

"Oh, dear…" Maddie sighed, "He put them on backwards. I'll have to fix that before I build more."

Maddie snapped her fingers a couple of times in front of his face, causing Jack to shake his head clear.

"Hm? What?" he asked as he looked around.

His blank expression warped into a huge grin.

"It worked!" he exclaimed, raising his fists in the air, "I knew they'd work!"

Maddie shook her head while Jazz nervously glanced away and rubbed the back of her head.

"Uh, guys? Can I ask you something?" she asked them.

Jack and Maddie turned their attention to their daughter.

"Let's just say, hypothetically, that Phantom turns out to be… not exactly a ghost?" Jazz asked.

Jack and Maddie both raised an eyebrow.

"Well, what else would he be?" Jack asked, "He literally does everything a ghost does. He flies, goes through walls, turns invisible, and scare the pants off of everyone!"

"Well… what if he was a half-ghost?" Jazz asked, "Like human and ghost?"

Jack and Maddie looked at each other and blinked a few times. Upstairs in Danny's room, Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Specter exited out of a ghost portal and it disappeared behind them. Specter's body was still burning.

"Great," he muttered, "Just what I need right now; a flare up."

"A flare up? What's that?" Tucker asked.

"I'm not completely proficient at using my pyrokinesis, so sometimes, usually when I'm really angry, I lose control and my body begins to overheat and burn," Specter explained.

"Just like when I first discovered my ice powers," Danny pointed out as white ring appeared around his waist and he went ghost, "Do you think my powers will help cool you down?"

"That's how I've done it before," said Specter, "Hit me."

Danny's hands began to glow icy blue and he fired an ice beam at Specter. After a few seconds, Phantom stopped attacking and checked the progress.

"Wow… it didn't do anything," he said.

"Well, I am more mad than usual," Specter grumbled.

"Why not use the Ghost Chiller?" Sam suggested.

"That might work," said Specter.

"I'll go grab it," said Danny as he reverted to human form and left his room.

Tucker and Sam turned to Specter.

"Don't ask," he warned.

"You don't even know-" Tucker began to complain.

"I don't want to talk about my sisters," Specter specified.

"Never mind," said Tucker.

"Let's talk about what we should do now," said Specter, "We need a plan to find Reaper and Dust."

"And keep this book safe," said Sam as she held up the book.

"Any ideas?" Specter asked.

Down the hall, Danny began walking downstairs to the first floorwhen he heard Jazz shouting from the lab.

"No, not possessed by a ghost!" Jazz exclaimed.

Danny walked back downstairs and began walking down to the labs.

"I mean what if the ghost was actually both a human and a ghost?" Jazz asked, "As in one entity that can transform back and forth from ghost to human at will?"

Danny peaked his head out and listened in to the conversation.

"Jazz, there's no such thing," said Maddie, "It's scientifically impossible for a human and a ghost to exist as one, or a 'half-ghost' as you put it."

"That's why I said hypothetically," Jazz reiterated, "Let's just pretend for a moment that half-ghosts exist, what would you guys do?"

"Well, first I'd capture this half-ghost and cut them open to see if they operate like normal humans do," Maddie replied.

Danny cringed at that answer.

"I'd blast him with every weapon we have in the vault to see how the effects differ from this… half-ghost and normal ghosts," Jack answered.

Danny cringed harder when he heard that answer.

"But their also human!" Jazz exclaimed, "Can you actually do that to another person?"

"As I've said before, Jazz, all ghosts are evil, half-ghost or not," said Maddie, "Why are you asking us these questions?"

"Umm… no reason, really…" Jazz said nervously, "I was just curious."

She tapped her chin for a moment.

"Uh… what if the half-ghost was me or Danny?" she asked, "Would you still do all those things?"

"Absolutely not!" Jack exclaimed, making Danny feel better, "Instead, we'd lock you up until we found a way to exorcise the ghost from your body!"

And just as fast, Danny's mood turned down again. Jazz's face had concern written all over it.

"Would you guys even love us?" she asked her parents.

"Jazz, the only reason we'd do those things is because we love you," Maddie explained, "Nothing will ever change that."

Jazz turned her back towards her parents, crossed her arms, and frowned. Her eyes glanced over and saw Danny peaking from the corner. Jack and Maddie noticed him as well.

"Danny, what brings you down here?" Jack asked.

"Oh, uh… I was just…" said Danny as he walked over to the tables.

Jazz smiled to try and convince him to tell his secret, but Danny sighed instead.

"I just needed to grab something down here," he said as the grabbed the Fenton Ghost Chiller and hid it behind his back, "Well, I'll, uh… be upstairs in my room. Bye!"

Danny turned and hurried out of the lab.

"Danny, wait!" Jazz exclaimed and quickly followed after Danny, leaving Jack and Maddie to watch her leave.

"That was odd," said Maddie, "Why would Jazz ask us questions like that?"

"Beats me," said Jack.

"Danny or Jazz as half-ghosts, ha!" Maddie laughed, "Kids sure can come up with the strangest questions, don't they?"

"They sure do," Jack agreed as he went back to work on the Ecto-Skeleton.

Jazz hurried up the stairs and caught up to Danny was he climbed up to the second floor.

"Danny…"

"Forget it, Jazz," Danny sighed, not stopping, "It's clear to me now that mom and dad won't accept me as their son if I told them I'm Danny Phantom."

"You don't know that, Danny," Jazz insisted, "Maybe-"

"Look, can we talk about this some other time?" Danny asked, "We just got attacked and Dust has been captured by Reaper."

Jazz paused at the top step and blinked a couple of times.

"Dust was _what now_!?" she exclaimed.

Danny entered his room and Jazz followed him inside.

"What's going on?" Jazz asked when she saw Specter.

"I had an emotional meltdown," Specter dryly quipped, "Got the Chiller?"

"Yup," Danny answered as he aimed it at Specter, "Ready?"

"Do it."

Danny fired the weapon and a glob of resin covered Specter from head to toe. Immediately, the resin hardened, freezing Specter inside. A moment later, cracks began to form on the resin and Specter broke free. He glanced around his body and saw that the flames were now gone.

"It worked," said Danny.

"Well, that's one problem dealt with," said Sam.

"Uh, can someone tell me what happened?" Jazz asked.

A few minutes later, the team finished telling Jazz what had happened at Sam's place.

"And now we're here," said Danny, "wondering what to do next."

"Not quite," said Tucker, "We have two possible leads that can help us."

"The first being Plasmius," Trevor explained, who was now in human form, "Since it's clear to us now that he works with Reaper, I'll head over to his offices and see if I can find his lab. Maybe he can lead us to Dust and Reaper."

"What makes you think Vlad would have a lab?" Danny asked.

"Since when does he _not _have a lab?" Sam asked.

"Fair enough," said Danny, "What's the other lead?"

"The only other person who's had an Orb of Power," said Sam, "Freakshow."

"Freakshow?" Jazz asked, "How could he help us?"

"He might not know where Reaper and Dust are, but he might point us to where his family found the Orb to begin with," Tucker explained.

"So you want me to sneak into the prison and talk to him?" Danny asked, "Sure, why not? It's not like he has his crystal ball staff or the Infinity Gauntlet."

"Uh… that might not so easy, Danny," said Tucker as he glanced over his PDA, "Here, take a look."

Danny took the PDA out of Tucker's hands and read the news on the PDA.

"Incarcerated criminal, Frederich Isak Showenhower, AKA Freakshow, has escaped from Amity Park Penitentiary late last night," he read, "Authorities have no leads to his current whereabouts nor how he escaped his cell."

"I bet my remaining living half that Reaper was somehow involved with that," Trevor said flatly.

"So now our only lead is Vlad," Sam sighed.

"Maybe not," said Jazz, "Remember that ghost that was always with Freakshow?"

Trevor's eyes slightly widened.

"Lydia! Of course!" he exclaimed, "She'll be the first ghost Freakshow would want to find!"

"Why's that?" Danny asked, "Is it because-"

"Uhhh… long story, not important," Trevor replied nervously, "***Ahem* **Anyways, last I saw her, Lydia was stuck in Walker's prison. If we could allow her to escape…"

"She could lead us straight to Freakshow!" Sam exclaimed, "But how are we going to break her out?"

"Didn't you guys break out of his prison twice by now?" Trevor asked, "You should know how."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

At Walker's prison, alarms were blaring, and guards were flying everywhere, trying to recapture all the inmate.

"_Don't let any of the prisoner's escape!" _Walker shouted over the PA system.

Just outside the walls, Tucker and Sam phased through the wall where Danny was waiting for them.

"Did it work?" he asked them.

Tucker and Sam pointed up in the air as Lydia flew off towards the Fenton Ghost Portal.

"Get ready, Jazz," Danny said into his Fenton Phone, "Lydia's coming in hot."

"What?" Sam asked, slightly jealous.

"As in she's coming in fast, Sam," Phantom clarified, "Wait… did you think I was just…?"

"What!? Ew, no!" Sam exclaimed.

"_Stay focused, guys," _said Specter, _"We might not get another chance at this."_

Back at the Fenton Works, Jazz was sitting in her car out front, waiting for Lydia.

"_Has she arrived yet?" _Danny asked.

"GHOOOOOOOST!" Jack bellowed from within the Fenton Works.

"Right on schedule," Jazz announced as she saw Lydia phase out of the Fenton Works.

Jazz stepped on the gas and tailed her as Jack kicked open the front door and looked around for the ghost.

"You can't hide from _Jack Fenton_!" he shouted, "I WILL FIND YOOOOOUUUU!"

"***Ahem***"

Jack opened his eyes and glanced down at the mailman in front of him.

"I'm just trying to deliver your mail, sir," he said.

"_Stay on her, Jazz," _said Danny, _"We'll meet up with you as soon as possible."_

"_What about you, Logan?" _Tucker asked.

Over at City Hall, Specter was floating against the ceiling invisibly, watching Vlad talking in his meeting with other city council members.

"Council members," said Vlad, "I propose we turn half of our parks around town into new sites for business."

"Let's just say I'm glad Sam's not here right now," said Specter.

"_Why?" _Sam asked.

"Think about it!" Vlad exclaimed, "Business owners want to expand their businesses. We are already running out of space for the larger corporations. But… if we build over some of the parks…"

"_Please blast him with a ghost ray," _Sam asked.

"_Has Vlad seriously not learned his lesson since Undergrowth attacked?" _Danny asked.

"I'll wait until after we save Dust and capture Reaper," said Specter, "This is going to be a long day. I'll keep an eye on Vlad while you guys focus on Lydia."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Back at Magnus' cave, Reaper was beginning to lose his patience. He floated a couple feet away from Dust, who was exhausted and covered in scratches, with a couple of drops of ectoplasm on her body.

"What's wrong?" she panted, "Giving up?"

"Uurrrrhhh…" Reaper growled before blasting the ghost raven with a pair of red ghost rays from his eyes.

"AAAAAIIIIGGGHHHH!" Dust screamed in pain.

As soon as Reaper stopped attacking, Dust's body went limp and she fell onto the floor of her cage. At that moment, a purple rune appeared behind Reaper and Magnus appeared. The ghost magician took a quick glance at the unconscious ghost.

"Having a good time?" he asked.

"She refused to say anything," Reaper growled, "Why are you here?"

Magnus sighed.

"We've run into a snag with the plan," he explained.

"What?" Reaper asked, "Explain!"

Magnus floated over and whispered something to Reaper. The murder's red eyes widened and burned in anger.

"That fool!" he bellowed.

"On a positive note," said Magnus, "the situation will be dealt with."

"Hrrrmmm…" Reaper moaned, "We'll have to move our plans forward."

He turned to Magnus.

"Begin the next phase, immediately!" Reaper ordered.

"Of course," said Magnus and he walked over to his runic altar.

Reaper glanced out the cave entrance, looking across Amity Park. Behind him, Dust had an eye open for a moment before closing it and losing consciousness.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Night fell upon Amity Park. Phantom was looking over at a bank from the roof of a building across the street.

"Any activity?" he asked into his Fenton Phone.

"_Nothing," _Jazz replied.

"_Danny, we've been waiting her for nearly an hour and nothing's happening. Maybe she knows where on to her," _said Sam.

"Or she's waiting for Freakshow," said Specter as he landed next to Danny.

"I thought you were watching Vlad," said Phantom.

"He's sleeping right now," said Specter, "I'm more use here than watching some froot loop sleep."

"Well, we followed Lydia into that bank," Danny explained, pointing down to the building.

Specter's eyes began to glow blue as he looked down below.

"I see Lydia inside," he told everyone through his Fenton Phone, "but I don't see Freakshow."

"_What's she doing?" _Tucker asked.

"Nothing," Specter replied as his eyes turned back to neon green, "She's just floating around aimlessly."

"_So what now?" _Jazz asked.

"We'll wait a little longer," said Danny, "If nothing happens, we'll capture Lydia and return her to the Ghost Zone."

"Or we could let her escape," Specter suggested.

He reached back and pulled out a small data chip.

"Here," he said as he handed it to Danny, "It's a tracking device. Just place it on Lydia's back and let her go. Don't worry; the chip is virtually undetectable and will stick to her like glue."

"If you say so," said Danny as he put it away.

"Just make the fight convincing," said Specter.

Silence fell upon the area as the team continued to wait. Danny took off his Fenton Phone gestured to Specter to do the same.

"Something on your mind?" Logan asked as he took his off.

"I need to know something," said Danny, "Do I ever tell my parents my secret?"

"Ah, so that's what's bothering you," said Specter, "Well, you already know what I'm going to say."

"Worth a shot," Danny joked, "But I don't know what to do."

"No offense, but I'm the last person you'd want to ask me about this," said Logan.

"You never told your family?" Danny asked.

"They know," Specter replied, "And they still love me. Other people… not so much at first."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"That's another thing I don't want to discuss because it's not important," Specter said dryly, "All I can say is that every action we make, there will be consequences, Danny. What those consequences are, even we can't foresee."

"Yeah," Phantom sighed, "I guess you're right."

"That doesn't mean you _shouldn't _tell them," said Specter, "Same goes with your feelings for Sam."

"WHAT!?" Danny exclaimed, "Where did that come from? Has Tucker been telling you things?"

"He didn't need to," said Logan, "Just watching you two idiots ignore the elephant in the room makes me want to cry."

"I don't… ***Sigh* **Is it that obvious?" Danny asked.

"Yes," said Specter, "What's got you worried about telling her?"

"She's one of my best friends!" Danny exclaimed, "How will I know she'll still want to be friends with me if I tell her and she doesn't have the same feelings?"

"You don't," said Specter, "But could you live with yourself knowing you could have told her, and you didn't?"

Before Danny could answer, Jazz's voice interrupted them.

"_Guys!? Are you there!?" _she shouted into the Fenton Phones.

"Yeah, we're here," Phantom answered as he and Specter put their phones back on, "Logan and I were just having a private conversation."

"_I hope you guys finished talking," _said Tucker, _"What should we do about Lydia?"_

"I still don't see any signs of Freakshow or any ghosts," said Specter as he scanned the area down below.

"Guess I'll go deal with her," said Phantom and he flew down towards the bank.

He phased through the walls and disappeared inside.

"_So…. What were you and Danny talking about?" _Tucker asked.

"Nothing much," Specter answered as he watched Danny engage Lydia, "He had something on his mind."

"_Was it about our parents?" _Jazz asked as the sound of ghost rays began to erupt from the bank.

"Yeah," said Specter, "About telling them his secret and…. What the heck is Danny doing?"

***WHAM***

"Whhhooooaaaaa!" Phantom screamed as he was thrown out the front doors of the bank and tumbled down the stairs.

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Danny, when I said make it convincing, I didn't mean make yourself look like an easy target," he said into the Fenton Phone.

"Ow," Danny moaned, "She's become a lot stronger since I last fought her."

Lydia floated out of the bank entrance with two large bags of money in her hands. She smirked as she tossed them on top of Danny before she flew off. A moment later, a pair of police cruisers skidded to halt in front of the bank and the officers surrounded Phantom, guns drawn.

"Freeze! You're under arrest!" one of the officers shouted.

"Um… I can explain?" Danny told them with a nervous smile and held up the bags.

"_How the heck did the cops get her so fast?" _Sam asked.

"Good question, Sam," said Specter, "Danny, start running."

He held up his hand and fired a blue ghost ray towards one of the windows of the bank, shattering the glass. The cops all turned their attention to the noise and Danny turned intangible and phased through the ground.

"What the!? He's gone!" the officers exclaimed.

Behind the bank, Danny phased through the ground in front of Tucker, Sam, and Jazz.

"So much for being of the police's good side," Tucker laughed.

"Very funny, Tucker," said Danny.

"Come on, get in the car," said Jazz as she climbed into her car, "We need to stay on Lydia's trail."

"_Uh, don't bother, guy," _said Specter over the Fenton Phone, _"I'll follow Lydia; I've got her on my tracker. You guys should get some sleep. It's getting late. If I run into trouble, I'll give you guys a call."_

"Are you sure?" Danny asked as he reverted to human form, "We don't mind-"

"_I'm sure, Danny," _Specter interrupted, _"Besides, it'll be easier to follow her if only one person is doing it."_

"If you say so, Specter," said Danny, "Just be careful."

"_I always am," _Specter replied.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam climbed into Jazz's car and drove off before the cops could find them. Across the street, Freakshow and Magnus poked their heads out from an alleyway and watched the heroes leave.

"Impressive," said Freakshow, "Reaper is much more intelligent than I had initially given him credit for. Everything is going _exactly _as planned."

"My master is not one to be underestimated, Freakshow," Magnus noted, "It would be wise to not cross him."

"Speaking of which, we should deal with our _other _little problem," said Freakshow.

"Indeed," said Magnus as a magical rune appeared around them, "Kiranann ta sular sinur ast!"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Across town, Vlad Plasmius was in his lab, typing on his computer.

"Genius," he said to himself, "Just _sheer genius_!"

Plasmius then chuckled to himself.

"Those idiots actually believed I would work _with _them? Ha! I only work for myself. Once all the Orbs of Power have been placed in one spot, I will take them for myself and handle Daniel and Reaper! As for Specter, he'll either be taken care of by Magnus or Reaper. And then there's the machine I've made for that skull-faced lunatic think I'm his partner. Once everything is in place, then I will-"

"You will do what, exactly?" said a voice behind Vlad.

His eyes widened as he spun around and saw Magnus and Freakshow staring at him.

"Oh, hello!" Vlad greeted them, "I was just talking to myself; you know? Speaking my mind."

"By betraying Reaper?" Magnus asked.

"What? Of course not! I'm a very honorable person, after all," Vlad exclaimed.

"Oh, Reaper's known for a while what you were planning, Plasmius," said Freakshow.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Vlad said innocently.

"Don't you worry, Plasmius," said Freakshow as he pulled out his crystal ball staff, "We'll make sure you do _exactly _what Reaper wants."

Plasmius' eyes widened as Freakshow and Magnus slowly approached him.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A few minutes passed and Specter had soon closed in on Lydia's position.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered as he floated up in the air, "Vlad's lab is _under _City Hall?"

Specter flew down towards the building and phased through the ceiling. He entered Vlad's office and found his bed empty.

"Alright, Dracula… where are you?"

Specter glanced down at a small disk-shaped device in his hands that had a radar on the screen.

"Hmm… there must be a secret way down to the labs," he muttered to himself.

He looked over to Vlad's desk and floated over to it. He looked around and found the secret button under the desk.

"How original," Specter deadpanned as he pressed it.

In the middle of the room, the elevator rose from the ground and the doors opened. Specter entered it and the elevator took him down to the labs. The first thing Specter saw when the doors opened was absolute darkness. He raised his hand and a ball of blue ecto-energy illuminated, acting as a lantern.

"Knock-knock. Anyone home?" Specter said quietly as he made his way inside.

As he went further inside, Specter began to see jars filled with what appeared to be remnants of Plasmius' early experiments, causing him the groan in disgust. He caught sight of a computer on one of the counters and walked over to it.

"Password protected, huh? I can only imagine what his password is," Specter dryly joked as he typed on the keyboard, "Of course it's 'Madeline Masters'."

Specter pulled out his flash drive and inserted it into the computer.

"Better grab these files while I can. Maybe one of these will tell me where Reaper is," he said as he ran a search for any relevant files.

He checked his tracker again and saw that he was right on top of where Lydia was supposed to be. His eyes turned blue and he scanned the room. He didn't see Lydia, but he found the tracker lying on the ground nearby.

"How did it fall off?" Specter asked himself as his eyes changed back and he went to go pick it up.

He knelt down, grabbed the tracking device, and put it away. As he got up, he found himself staring at a large vat with a viewport on the side. Specter was quick to notice that it was filled with ectoplasm, but upon closer inspection, he could have sworn that there was something else inside.

"Ah, I'm getting distracted," he said as he shook his head and turned around.

***BAM***

Specter crashed into a metal shelf and a couple of jars of ectoplasm fell on top of him. He looked up and glared at his attacker.

"Vlad?"

The half-ghost villain floated before Specter. The hero took a quick glance at Plasmius.

"Something's wrong," he muttered to himself before he blasted Plasmius with an electrified ghost ray.

Plasmius toppled over a counter and fell to the ground but quickly recovered and was back to his feet.

"Where is she, Plasmius!?" Logan shouted, "Where's Dust!?"

"With my master," Vlad said darkly as he turned towards him.

"Master?" Specter asked.

Vlad held up his hand and fired a purple ghost ray at Specter. He quickly created a duplicate in front of Vlad and blinked over to him, dodging the attack and grabbing him by the collar.

"I'm in no mood for games, Plasmius! Tell me where-" Specter shouted before he paused and noticed something in Vlad's eyes, "Oh, no…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Danny, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were still in the car, on their way back home.

"I don't know guys," said Danny, "I'm still not sure if I should tell them or not."

"Danny, what's the worst that could happen?" Tucker asked.

"They strap me down on a metal table and experiment on me?" Danny asked.

"We won't let that happen to you," said Jazz.

"Danny, your parents think negatively about Phantom because they think he's just a ghost," said Sam, "If you told them your secret, they'll see that everything great about you is in Phantom as well!"

Danny turned towards the window and rested his head on his hand as he solemnly stared outside.

"Danny?" Sam asked.

He didn't show any signs that he was listening anymore. Sam put her hand on the hand Danny had resting on the seat. The moment she grabbed his hand, Danny turned to see who it was.

"Whenever you are ready to tell them," said Sam, "we'll be there by your side. You won't have to do it alone."

Seeing Sam's smile made Danny feel much better.

"Maybe you guys are right," he said, "I think I will tell them once we get home."

"Perfect timing," said Jazz, "Because we're here."

Danny glanced outside and saw the Fenton Works sign above them. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Okay… I can do this," he told himself as he got out of the car.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Specter dodged another ghost ray from Plasmius as he cartwheeled in the air and fired a pyrokinetic green ghost ray back.

"Vlad!" he shouted, "Snap out of it! You're being controlled!"

Vlad protected himself with a shield construct before he made multiple duplicates of himself, surrounding Specter.

"Master… will… succeed!" the Vlads all exclaimed at once as they all fired a powerful ghost ray at Specter.

Logan glared at the original as he turned intangible and the ghost rays passed right through his body. Unfortunately for the duplicates and Vlad, they all got hit by the ghost rays since Specter was directly in the middle. The duplicates instantly vanished, and Vlad slammed into the wall.

"Plasmius, you may be an insane froot loop," said Specter as he turned tangible, "but you've _never _been anyone's patsy!"

"Guuuhhhh…" Plasmius moaned as he got back to his feet and grabbed his head, "Can't… fight it."

"Then tell me where Reaper is!" Specter shouted as he approached him, "He can't be allowed to-"

***POW***

Vlad punched Specter in the face, making him flying across the lab. He quickly recovered and floated in the air, glaring at Vlad.

"Fine," he growled, "We'll do things the _hard _way then."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Down in the Fenton Works labs, Jack was working on the new Ecto-Skeleton while Maddie was busy with the Fenton Goggles. There were a few other pairs of goggles next to her that she had already finished building.

"How's the Ecto-Skeleton coming along, Jack?" Maddie asked.

"It's nearly complete!" Jack exclaimed with joy, "There are still some new additions I'd like to add, but those can wait for another time."

"Excellent," said Maddie, "I've made enough Goggles for us and the kids. Jazz can even take one with her when she leaves for college."

"Ah… college," Jack sighed, "I remember those days. When it was just you, me, and Vladdie. We were the best team in researching ghosts in the world! Shame about the accident though. But aside from that, it was great!" **^***

Danny was peaking from the stairs towards his parents. Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were standing behind him.

"I don't know…" Danny moaned as he turned around, "Maybe it will be better if I don't tell them."

"Danny, _stop_," Sam ordered as she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at her, "Do you think it would be better if they captured you in your ghost form and you tell them _then_?"

Danny blinked a couple of times.

"Uh… I-uh… maybe?" he smiled nervously.

"Listen to me," Sam continued, "no matter what happens, _we_ will protect you. Do you understand? No one; not Reaper, not Vlad, not even your parents; will ever harm you. If your parents can't accept you for who you are, then forget them. We care about you for who you are, through good and bad."

Danny just stared wordlessly at Sam as he thought about what to do. With a small sigh, he smiled and nodded before turning back around and entered the lab.

"Good work, Sam," said Tucker.

"I know him too well sometimes," said Sam.

"Or not well enough," Jazz said to herself and giggled.

Danny approached his parents as his friends and sister watched from nearby.

"Hey, um… mom? Dad?" Danny asked nervously.

The two Fentons looked over to their son.

"Ah, Danny," said Jack, "Is something wrong? You look nervous."

"No- I mean, yes… I… maybe?" he answered tapping his index fingers together.

"Danny?" Maddie asked, "Are you in trouble?"

"Well… I, uh…"

Danny glanced over and saw Tucker giving him a thumbs up, Sam's smile, and Jazz winking and the "a-okay" gesture; giving him a boost in confidence. He nodded and looked back at his parents.

"Okay," he sighed to himself, "I can do this."

"Son?" Jack asked.

"There's… something I've been hiding from you guys," Danny admitted, "For a while."

"A while?" Maddie repeated as she pulled off her hood and lab goggles, "Like a few weeks?"

"A bit longer than that," said Danny.

"A few months?" Jack asked as he walked over and stopped beside his wife.

"About a year and a half," Danny admitted.

"A _year_ and a _half_!?" Jack and Maddie exclaimed.

"Please, don't freak out or be mad at me and let me explain," said Danny, "Remember when the Ghost Portal began to mysteriously work?"

"Yes," said Maddie, "you were there when your father and I tried to start it up, but it didn't work."

"Well, you see… I may have walked inside it," Danny admitted, "and accidentally hit the start button... which turned the portal on."

Jack and Maddie gasped as Maddie grabbed Danny's shoulders and pulled him close to her face.

"You did _**WHAT**_!?" she exclaimed, "You turned the portal on!?"

"***Gulp* **Yes," Danny replied.

Tucker and Sam looked at each other nervously while Jazz bit her lower lip and clasped her hands together.

"Daniel Fenton!" Maddie shrieked, "Why on Earth would you _ever_ do something so _dangerous_!?"

"Well… I was showing the portal to Tucker and Sam," he explained, "and… I just got curious and… I put on one of the jumpsuits and I walked around inside the portal for a few seconds and my hand… hit the on button."

Danny hesitated to continue.

"Go on, son," Jack said calmly, "Tell us what happened next."

Danny shut his eyes as he pulled away from his mother and turned so his back was facing his parents.

"Danny?" Maddie asked with great concern.

"I… I don't know how to tell you this…" he said as tears began to fill his eyes, "I need to know something. And please, don't lie to me."

"Of course, Danny!" Maddie exclaimed, "Anything."

"You guys… you'll both love me, no matter what, right?" he asked.

"What kind of silly question is that?" Jack asked, "We love you, no matter what."

"No," Danny clarified, "I mean _no matter what_. _Anything_?"

"Danny, please, you're scaring me," Maddie begged, "Just tell us what happened."

"Even if I were… not exactly human?" Danny asked.

"Danny… no matter what, you are our son," said Maddie, "I will _always_ love you."

Danny turned around to show the tears that had been falling down his face.

"When I hit the button," he continued, "the portal was activated… with me inside."

Maddie brought a hand to her mouth.

"It… _changed_ me," Danny explained, "It did something to me that made me… no longer _completely_ human."

"Danny…" said Jack, "What… what are you saying, son?"

"I'm… I'm not just Danny Fenton," he revealed.

"What are you talking about?" Maddie asked.

"I'll show you," said Danny.

He took a step back and closed his eyes as a white ring appeared around his waist. Jack and Maddie watched as their son's appearance changed before them. He opened his eyes to reveal their neon green glow.

"I'm Danny Phantom."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Vlad's lab was a complete mess; broken vials and various substances were scattered everywhere. Plasmius was on his knees, breathing hard, as a blue grapple beam took hold of him and pulled him inside Specter's Fenton Thermos.

"Weak minded fool," Specter muttered as he slapped the cap on.

He turned his attention towards the computer and floated over to it.

"Looks like the download is done," he said as he pulled out his flash drive, "Wait… what's this open file?"

As Logan scrolled through the document, his eyes got wider by the second.

"I… I've got to warn the others!" he exclaimed as he went intangible and phased through the ceiling.

Once he was outside, Specter rocketed towards the horizon as he pulled out his Fenton Phone. He glanced down at it and saw that it had broken into two pieces.

After a couple of moments, Specter put the Fenton Phone away.

"This had better work," he said anxiously as he pulled out his cellphone.

He called the first person on his contact list.

"Come on, _come on_," he moaned, "Pick up, please?"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jack and Maddie just stared at Danny as Tucker, Sam, and Jazz braced for whatever reaction may come. Jazz was not expecting her cellphone to start vibrating and it caused her to jump a little. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" she said.

"_Where's Danny!?"_ Specter asked.

"In the labs at home. He just told our parents-"

"_Get him out of there! Now!"_

"What's going on?" Jazz asked as she turned back to her family, just in time to see Jack and Maddie pull out their weapons; the Fenton Foamer and the Fenton Grappler. **^****

"GHOST!" Jack exclaimed as he fired the Fenton Foamer at Danny.

Phantom gasped and jumped out of the projectile's way.

"No, mom, dad, wait!" he exclaimed, "It's _me_! Danny!"

Maddie aimed the Grappler at her son and glared at him.

"_You _are _not _Danny!" she exclaimed and pulled the trigger.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**End of Part 1.**

**For the record, I split this "movie" on purpose for the sake of making it easier for people want to stop midway through a chapter/episode and come back later without wasting time scrolling through over 170 pages worth of writing to get back to the same place they left off.**


	9. Episodes 59 & 60 (Part 2)

**Ver. 1.0.0 (9/28/19)**

**Yes, I know I uploaded these on the same day. Consider this as an apology.**

**THIS IS PART 2.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**NOTE: This is part 2 of the "movie", meaning if you haven't read part 1, go to the previous chapter and read it. You'll be utterly confused as to what the heck is going on if you keep reading before doing so.**

**No, seriously, if you haven't read part 1- ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!? You idiot! Fine! Be that way! I hope you're proud of yourself!**

**Anyways, enjoy.**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Jack and Maddie just stared at Danny as Tucker, Sam, and Jazz braced for whatever reaction may come. Jazz was not expecting her cellphone to start vibrating and it caused her to jump a little. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" she said.

"_Where's Danny!?"_ Specter asked.

"In the labs at home. He just told our parents-"

"_Get him out of there! Now!"_

"What's going on?" Jazz asked as she turned back to her family, just in time to see Jack and Maddie pull out their weapons; the Fenton Foamer and the Fenton Grappler. **^****

"GHOST!" Jack exclaimed as he fired the Fenton Foamer at Danny.

Phantom gasped and jumped out of the projectile's way.

"No, mom, dad, wait!" he exclaimed, "It's _me_! Danny!"

Maddie aimed the Grappler at her son and glared at him.

"_You _are _not _Danny!" she exclaimed and pulled the trigger.

A green anti-ghost net shot forward from the weapon and approached Danny. Sam sprinted towards Danny, tackling him to the ground and just dodging the net.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton!" Sam exclaimed, "What are you doing!?"

"Oh, they're doing exactly what they are supposed to, my dear," said a voice at the other end of the room.

Everyone looked over and saw Freakshow and Lydia standing by the now open Fenton Ghost Portal.

"Freakshow!?" Danny exclaimed, "What have you done to my parents!?"

Freakshow smirked and revealed a blue ball in his hands.

"An Orb of Power!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"_Guys!? Can you hear me!?" _Specter exclaimed, _"Get- __***KRRR***__ -there! Now! __***KRRR***__ -don't look at the Orb! Do not lo- __***KRRR***__"_

"Specter!?" Jazz exclaimed, "Are you there!?"

"Oh, did someone lose connection?" Freakshow teased.

Danny looked back at his parents and saw the blue vortexes in them.

"What did you do to my parents!?" he asked.

"Same thing I did to you and all your little ghost pals way back when," Freakshow smirked, "Only this time, I did it with people instead of ghosts."

Freakshow held out his staff towards Danny.

"And since you are only _half _ghost…"

"Don't look!" Jazz exclaimed as she and Tucker rushed inside the lab.

She glanced over to the counter and grabbed the Fenton Goggles Maddie had finished. She put one on tossed three to the others.

"Put ;these on!" she told them as they covered their sight of the Orb of Power.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam caught the goggles and put them on.

"You really think those will help you?" Freakshow chuckled as he attempted to gain control of their minds.

The gang looked at the Orb, but nothing happened. Freakshow raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Looks like you need to find a new trick," Danny smirked, "because that one's getting old."

He fired a cryo-ghost ray at Freakshow, but the ringmaster just stood there and smiled; not even Lydia reacted. Suddenly, just before the attack hit Freakshow, and flash of green whipped in front of Freakshow and the attack was deflected onto the ceiling. Standing before Team Phantom was Fright Knight, with Soul Shredder in hand.

"Fright Knight!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"What's he doing here!?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," said Freakshow, "We also restored the original crystal ball that was on my staff."

Danny's eyes widened.

"Wait… don't tell me that…" he said.

"Reaper's been busy," Freakshow smirked as more ghosts arrived through the portal; each with red swirling vortexes in their eyes.

"Skulker!? Technus!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Ember?" Tucker asked.

"Not you too, Frostbite," Sam gasped.

The ghosts all started to approach the group, causing them to nervously back away.

"We need to get out of here!" Jazz exclaimed.

She backed into something and turned to find Jack inside the Ecto-Skeleton.

"Destroy Phantom," he moaned as he lifted his fists above his head.

Team Phantom gasped as Jack slammed his fists toward them and all the ghosts fired ghost rays at them. Danny's hands began to glow green and he whipped his arms out. A green ghost shield surrounded him, Tucker, Sam, and Jazz; protecting them from all the attacks.

"I can't keep this up forever," Phantom groaned, "Hand on tight to me! We're getting out of here!"

Tucker, Sam, and Jazz grabbed Danny's arms. He turned them and himself intangible. They phased through the floor and the ghost shield vanished.

"Oh, wonderful," Freakshow said dryly, "They've escaped. No matter. Skulker! Fright Knight! Search for them!"

The gang reappeared a few feet outside the Fenton Works.

"We need to find Specter!" Sam exclaimed.

"I've lost contact with him," said Jazz as she tried to call him again, "He must be in an area with poor reception."

"What do we do now?" Tucker asked.

"We need to arm ourselves with whatever we can get our hands on," said Danny, "We can't use anything in the Fenton Works, not with all those ghosts and my parents keeping an eye there."

"I still have some weapons back at my place, Danny" Sam admitted.

"Yeah, remind me to get those back from you," said Danny.

"I might have something that could help as well," said Tucker, "It's a pet project of mine, but it might not be ready yet."

"We'll need every advantage we can get," said Danny, "Jazz, take Tucker to his place. I'll take Sam to hers. We'll meet up soon and make a plan to stop Reaper and Freakshow. And save my parents."

Everyone noticed disappointment in Danny's voice when he mentioned his parents.

"Danny, don't look so down," said Jazz as she put her hand on his shoulder, "That wasn't our parents. They wouldn't actually do that to you. Once we free them, you'll see that they'll still love you for who you are."

"I hope you're right," said Danny, "Let's get going. We need to work fast before the situation gets any worse."

"_I _hope that Specter's okay," said Tucker, "I wonder what's going on at his end."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Specter walked up to a cave entrance and stopped before it.

"So this is where you've been hiding, huh?"

He took a deep breath and sighed.

"If Vlad's notes are wrong," Specter muttered, "I'm gonna throw him and the Fenton Thermos into the Carnivorous Cavern." **^*****

He floated into the cave. Specter looked around and found Magnus' ritual site.

"Yup… definitely Magnus' work."

He looked down and saw some black feathers with some ectoplasm on them. He reached down and picked one up.

"Dust…" he breathed.

Something shimmered out of the corner of Specter's eye. He glanced over and saw a ghost portal against the cave wall. Suddenly, someone exited out of the portal.

"Oh, my," said Magnus, "It would seem that Vlad has failed to defeat you."

"Where is she, Magnus?" Specter asked, "Where's Dust?"

"Oh, your little friend? She's with my master, of course," Magnus replied, "But don't you worry…"

He opened his spell book and multiple runes appeared around him and Specter.

"… you'll be with her very, _very _soon," Magnus finished.

Specter fired a ghost ray past Magnus, closing the portal.

"If something happens to her," Specter warned, "I will-"

"Oh, relax, Logan," Magnus interrupted, "She's not gone. Not yet, anyways. But you won't be saving her."

"You think you stand a chance against me? _Alone_?" Specter asked, "If you don't tell me where they are… you are _reeeeally _not gonna like what happens next."

A large ghost wolf, the Warrior, and a ghost tiger appeared from the runes.

"Your move first," Magnus chuckled.

Specter held up his hands; one began to burn with green flames while the other began to spark with blue electricity. As he shot forward, the ghosts charged toward him.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

A pair of ectopuses flew over the Manson residence. As soon as they were gone, Danny and Sam turned visible at her front door.

"Okay, let's get to my room," said Sam.

Danny nodded and picked her up. They turned tangible and went inside. They phased through the floor of her room.

"Keep an eye outside," said Sam, "I'll be down in about a minute."

"Okay," Danny replied and phased back through the floor.

Sam hurried over to her bed and pulled the chest out from underneath. Outside, Danny waited as he kept his eyes peered for more ghosts.

"I figured you would show up here," said a voice behind him.

Danny turned around in time to see Lydia grab his Goggles and rip them off his face. Back upstairs, Sam had already placed the Wrist Ray on her wrist and was pulling out the Fenton Ghost Blaster.

***Ding***

"Huh?" Sam explained and looked down to see what fell.

She saw that Danny's class ring was the source of the noise.

"How'd that fall out?" she asked herself as she picked up the ring, "I really need to find a better place to store-"

Her eyes widened when she glanced at the ring and saw her name engraved inside.

"Wait… was this meant… for me?" she asked herself, "No! No way! It was probably just his dad or something. I mean, it's not like he actually likes me."

Sam began to ponder.

"Does he?"

"_And don't worry about the future, Sam," _Danny's voice echoed in her mind, _"Nothing will happen to you. I'll make sure of it."_

"_How can you be so sure?" _

"_Because… Because you're the most important-"_

"That's when our hands…" Sam realized.

She looked down at her hand as faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She slowly reached up and rubbed her cheek.

"He… _does _like me," she smiled.

"Where have you been!?"

Sam spun around and gasped at the sight of her parents.

"Mom!? Dad!? What are you doing in my room!?"

"Don't you change the subject, young lady!" Pam snapped, "Where have you been!? And what is that ridiculous thing you have there!?"

Sam quickly put the ring away.

"Um… nothing! None of your business!" she exclaimed.

"And what are you doing up so late!?" Jeremy asked, "It's past midnight!"

"I, uh…"

Pam marched over and took the Fenton Goggles away from her.

"Hey, I need those!" Sam exclaimed.

"No, you are not!" Jeremy announced, "You've been hanging around that Fenton boy again, haven't you?"

"Will you guys ever leave him alone!?" Sam asked, "He's my friend, and there's nothing wrong with him!"

"Aside from making a mess in our library," Pam noted.

"Guys, this is really not the time for this," Sam grumbled, "There's an emergency-"

"That will not need tending to," Freakshow announced.

The Mansons all gasped as Freakshow held out his crystal ball staff towards them. Instantly, Sam, Jeremy and Pam had blue swirls in their eyes. Pam's grip loosened and she dropped the Fenton Goggles.

"Rggh… no!" Sam exclaimed, trying to fight the Orb's influence.

"Give me the book," Freakshow smiled.

Sam's arms went limp and she stood before Freakshow, fully under his control.

"I will give you the book…" she moaned as she pulled it out from behind and handed it to Freakshow.

"Good girl," Freakshow smiled as he took it from her, "Now, minions, let's get going. We don't want to be late for the show."

Freakshow and Lydia led Phantom and the Mansons outside and down the street. Back in Sam's room, an unknown individual phased their hand through the floor and took the Goggles.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Dust slowly opened her eyes.

"Uugghhh…" she moaned as she regained consciousness, "Where am I? Specter?"

Dust looked around and remembered that she was still trapped.

"Right… I let myself get captured," she muttered, "Where exactly am I? This isn't the cave Magnus and Reaper hid in."

Looking around, Dust noticed she was in a small makeshift room; wooden boards for all four walls and the ceiling.

"What an acute observation," said a voice behind Dust.

She glared over her shoulder.

"Reaper," she growled.

"Morning, Poe," Reaper teased, "Sleep well?"

Dust turned her head away and didn't respond.

"Ah, the silent treatment, huh?" Reaper asked, "Not that I really cared for an answer anyways."

The ghost floated around the cage and smiled evilly at Dust.

"What are you doing to do now?" Dust asked, "Nothing you do will make me talk."

Reaper reached into his cloak and pulled out a red object.

"Look familiar," he asked Dust.

Dust's eyes widened as Reaper held the Orb of Power out towards her.

"Get that thing away from me," she hissed as she turned away.

"Huh?" Reaper muttered.

He moved the Orb back into Dust's line of sight.

"You will give in to my power," Reaper growled.

"You can take that Orb," said Dust, "and shove it where- AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Reaper hit her with his eyebeams again.

"Bah!" he exclaimed and put the Orb away, "I guess you _are_ immune to the Orb's influence… for some reason. Hmm… I wonder what's taking Plasmius and Magnus so darn long."

Dust stared confusingly at Reaper as the insane ghost floated away and left the room.

"No…" she whispered, "I'm not."

She shook her feathers for a moment before sighing.

"Specter… please find me…"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Tucker and Jazz poked their heads out of some bushes and looked around.

"Coast is clear," said Tucker, "Let's hurry inside."

He and Jazz emerged from the bushes and barely took a step forward before someone grabbed them by the collars from behind and pulled them back into the bushes.

"What the-!?" Jazz exclaimed before the assailant put their hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

"Shhh!" Specter shushed her.

"Specter!" Tucker exclaimed quietly as Logan took his hand off Jazz's mouth, "We thought we lost you."

"Were it so easy," he replied.

"Wow… you look awful," Jazz commented.

Specter's hair was a mess, he had cuts and bruises all over his body, his suit had tears in a few places, and the ends of his white scarf was looking tattered.

"Yeah…" he moaned, "Had to deal with Plasmius and Magnus."

"Where are they now?" Tucker asked.

Specter held up his Fenton Thermos for a moment before putting it away.

"Did you find Dust?" Tucker asked.

"… no," Specter admitted.

"How did you know about our parents?" Jazz asked.

"I realized that Plasmius' had been mind-controlled when I was looking around in his lab," Specter explained, "At first, I thought it was because he and Reaper had repaired the red Orb of Power. It wasn't until I saw how blue his eyes were that I realized what was happening. It also explained why the police showed up so quickly; because Freakshow had possessed their minds prior to that bank heist."

"What exactly does the blue Orb do?" Tucker asked.

"It's the exact same thing as the red Orb of Paranormal Control, only it controls humans instead of ghosts," Specter explained, "Halfas are affected by both Orbs."

"How'd you know we would be here?" Jazz asked.

"I didn't," Specter answered, "I followed _them_."

He pointed out towards Tucker's house, where Tucker and Jazz saw Skulker and Fright Knight roaming around in the air.

"After dealing with Magnus in the cave he and Reaper have been hiding out in, I went over to Manson's place, since I figured Phantom and her would go there for supplies, given that the Fenton Works is no good."

"Wait…. Where's Danny and Sam!?" Jazz exclaimed.

"Captured," Logan sighed, "Mind-controlled."

He leaned back and sat down.

"It's all my fault," he growled, "I shouldn't have sent you guys off like that when I tracked Lydia. I should've kept us together. Instead, we played right into Reaper's hands."

"You can't blame yourself, dude," said Tucker as he offered out a hand, "You couldn't have known."

"… No… I should have known," Specter sighed as he took Tucker's hand and was helped up to his feet, "What's with the goggles?"

"Oh!" Jazz exclaimed, "They're Fenton Goggles. They actually prevent us from getting mind-controlled."

"So that's what they are," Specter muttered as he pulled out a pair, "I was wondering what this was. I grabbed it when Manson's mother dropped them after getting mind-controlled. There was also a pair by the front door of the Manson residence."

"Sam's mom is mind-controlled too!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"And her father," said Specter as he put the Goggles on, "And by the pattern, it would mean…"

Tucker nervously peeked out of the bush and inside his house. He saw his parents standing mindlessly in the middle of the kitchen with blue swirls in their eyes.

"Not my parents too!?" Tucker exclaimed as he went back into hiding.

"What do we do now?" Jazz asked.

"We need to find out where Freakshow has taken Phantom and Manson," Specter explained, unaware that Skulker and Fright Knight had noticed their voices.

"How? We can't just ask the ghosts where they've taken them," said Jazz.

"No need," said Skulker as he poked his head in the bushes, "We'll take you there."

"I bet you would," Specter muttered and fired a ghost ray at Skulker, pushing him out of the bush, "Run!"

Tucker and Jazz took off as Specter jumped away from Fright Knight's slash with Soul Shredder.

"Where do we go!?" Jazz asked Tucker.

"You're asking me!?" he replied, "I thought you were the smart one!?"

Suddenly, Skulker landed before them, causing the two to skid to a halt.

"You can't escape," Skulker smiled, "Our master will succeed."

Tucker suddenly got an idea.

"Well, if that's how it going to be," he muttered and tossed his Goggles to Jazz, "Come and get me!"

"Tucker!?" Jazz exclaimed, "What are you doing!?"

Tucker turned to Jazz and smiled.

"Leading you and Specter to Danny and Sam," he replied.

"What!?" Jazz exclaimed.

Suddenly, Jazz turned intangible and disappeared into the ground. A shadow towered over Tucker; he turned to see that Skulker was looming over him.

"You've made my job much easier," the hunter smiled.

"***GULP* **I hope this works," Tucker said nervously as Skulker grabbed him and took off into the skies.

A moment later, Specter and Jazz phased through the ground and watched them fly away.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Specter sighed, "but it'll do. Let's go."

Jazz nodded and allowed Specter to lift her by the arms. They turned invisible and followed Skulker as Fright Knight joined him and Tucker.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

After traveling quite a distance, Skulker and Fright Knight carried Tucker into a big top tent. Specter and Jazz surveyed the area from behind a large tree from atop a hill.

"A big top?" Jazz asked, "Freakshow must love giving people shows."

"He can be very over the top when it comes to his schemes," said Specter, causing Jazz to giggle, "What?"

"Did you just make a pun?" she asked.

"Focus, Fenton," Specter growled as looked back down towards the area of interest.

"Sorry," said Jazz, "Got a plan?"

"Maybe…" Logan replied as he saw Jack operating the Ecto-Skeleton in front of the entrance, "How familiar are you with the Ecto-Skeleton?"

Down below, Jack was scanning back and forth the area, patrolling. Specter floated invisibly above him and slowly descended down.

"Sorry, Jack," he said quietly, "but it's for everyone's own good."

He then turned intangible and overshadowed Jack. Nearby, Jazz waited behind a ticket booth for Specter to arrive. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped.

"EEEK!" she shrieked.

"Shhh! Quiet!" Specter hissed as he hopped out of the Ecto-Skeleton and phased out of Jack's body.

"Huh?" Jack moaned, "What's going-"

***WHAM***

Specter punched Jack in the face, knocking him out.

"Please understand, I hold you in the highest respect," said Specter.

"Did you just reference-" Jazz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I did," Specter interrupted as he hid Jack's body in some bushes, "Now get in the Ecto-Skeleton."

Jazz hopped into the suit and began operating it.

"So what's the rest of your plan?" Jazz asked.

"We need to break Reaper's and Freakshow's control on the others," Specter explained, "We may be able to break that control with these Goggles. We only have a total of four and we already have ours on, so we need to pick which of the three to help us get the Orbs away from Reaper and Freakshow."

"Well, that's easy," said Jazz, "Danny and Sam."

"That's what I was think-"

"And Tucker," Jazz finished.

Specter gave her side-eye.

"You do realize that five is greater than four, right?" he asked.

Jazz opened the dome windshield and tossed her Goggles to Specter.

"Are you freakin' insane!?" Specter asked, "We need-"

"Danny, Tucker, and Sam," Jazz interrupted, "They've been doing this whole hero thing longer than I have; they can do it."

"I'm not doubting that, Fenton," said Specter, "But-"

"No 'buts'," said Jazz, "Specter, those three combined are more advantageous for you than I am in this suit."

"… You do make a good argument," Specter conceded, "Very well, Fenton. Let's sneak inside and see what we'll find. No point in planning blindly."

Specter hoped onto the Ecto-Skeleton's shoulder and turned himself, Jazz, and the suit invisible.

"Time to make a house call," Jazz quipped.

"Just… just quietly sneak in through the entrance," Specter moaned, rubbing his forehead.

Jazz smirked as they began their infiltration into the tent. They entered the short vinyl tunnel and found themselves staring at a large satellite dish.

"What are they doing?" Jazz asked.

"Look," said Specter, pointing towards a camera crew.

"Look where? I can't see you, you know," said Jazz.

"Sorry," said Specter, "There's a camera crew over there."

Jazz glanced over and saw the crew.

"A satellite dish? A camera crew?" she asked, "It seems as if Reaper and Freakshow are trying to hypnotize everyone through the news."

"That's _exactly_ what they are planning," said Specter, "And that's not any dish; that thing will transmit globally and into the Ghost Zone. And I can see the Orbs of Power inside that machine."

"They'll take over the world and the Ghost Zone with a simple flip of a switch!" Jazz gasped.

"Not unless we stop them," said Specter as he looked around the huge area, "I just noticed that there are a lot of people here."

Jazz took a look around and saw that hundreds of people were in the stands, both humans and ghosts. Her eyes stopped on a certain trio she knew too well.

"There's Danny!" she whispered as she pointed to him, "And Tucker and Sam!"

"Jazz… I can't see where you are pointing," said Specter.

"Oh, right… sor- Wait, yes, you can!" she exclaimed.

Specter chuckled a little as his eyes stopped glowing blue.

"I know, I know," he admitted, "Just keeping you on your toes."

"Very funny," she remarked, "Got a plan now?"

"Yeah," said Specter, "Alright… here's the plan…"

Over by the satellite dish, a mind-controlled Technus was working on the controls, setting up the dish to broadcast the livestream. Reaper was keeping watch as Freakshow approached him.

"Are we ready?" Freakshow asked.

"Any minute now," Reaper replied, "Any signs of Specter?"

"None so far," Freakshow replied, "But I wouldn't drop my guard until the fat lady sings."

"A wise move," said Reaper, "For me, I'm expecting him to already be here."

"Would be such a disappointment for you if he wasn't," said Freakshow.

"Any word from Magnus?" Reaper asked.

"None," said Freakshow, "He's either diddle-daddling or-"

"No matter," Reaper interrupted, "Let's get ready for the show."

***WUMP***

Suddenly, a wooden palette flew across the room and slammed into Reaper's back. He got back up and glared at who had done so.

"Hey! Bonehead!" Jazz shouted, "Come and get me!"

"How did she…? Never mind," Reaper muttered, "Slaves! Get that girl!"

Around the stands, ghosts began to float up and flew towards Jazz. She turned around and ran out of the big top, leading the ghosts all outside.

"Not the show we want," said Freakshow.

"Indeed," said Reaper, "Watch yourself, Freakshow. Specter is definitely here."

Back in the stands, Danny, Tucker, and Sam were all sitting mindlessly next to each other in the back. Specter phased behind them and slapped the Fenton Goggles on their faces.

"Please work," he begged.

A moment later, Danny, Tucker, and Sam shook their heads.

"What… what's going on?" Danny asked.

"Where am I?" Sam asked.

"Ugghhh… where's… Specter?" Tucker moaned.

They looked around and saw each other.

"What are you doing here, Tucker!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Me!?" Tucker exclaimed, "What are you guys doing here!?"

"Guys! Shut up!" Specter hissed.

"Specter?" Sam asked, "Specter! You're okay!"

"SSSSHHHH!" he shushed the three, "Quiet! Pretend you guys are still mind-controlled and sit like zombies."

"What?" Danny asked, "Mind-controlled?"

"… Maybe I should just go back to my timeline now…" Specter pondered.

"Will you tell us what's going on?" Tucker asked.

Specter grabbed their heads, one by one, and forced them to look forward.

"Don't move any part of your body an inch, got it?" he asked.

"Fine," Sam muttered, "What's going on?"

"Long story short, you guys got mind-controlled by Freakshow and brought here, I met with Jazz and Tucker, Foley let himself get captured so Jazz and I could follow, Jazz is distracting the ghosts while I saved you guys with the Fenton Goggles, and now we need to continue with my plan."

Danny, Tucker, and Sam glanced at one another.

"What did I just say!? Look forward!" Specter hissed.

"Okay, fine," said Danny, "So what now?"

"Reaper and Freakshow are planning to use the two Orbs of Power; yes, they have two, the red and blue ones; to brainwash everyone on Earth and in the Ghost Zone using that satellite dish and camera crew down there; the dish has the two Orbs inside of it," Specter explained, "Foley, you got your PDA on you?"

"I always do," he smirked as he pulled it out.

"Good," said Specter, "I'll take you over to the generator that's outside. I need you to hack into the controls of that and the dish. Whenever you are ready, shutdown the power and cut the lights. When that happens, me, Phantom, and Manson will engage Reaper and Freakshow. We rush in, grab the Orbs, kick bad guy butt, free everyone's minds, capture Reaper, find Dust, and I can finally return home."

"Uh… that's the plan?" Danny asked.

"Look, we have limited time," Specter snapped, "You got a better plan?"

Danny didn't reply.

"That's what I thought," said Specter.

"Specter, what am I going to do?" Sam asked, "I don't have weapons."

Specter deadpanned as he grabbed Sam's wrist and showed the Wrist Ray that was still on her wrist.

"Oh."

"Any more questions?" Specter sighed.

No one said a word for a moment.

"Alright, then," said Specter, "Come on, Foley. Let's get you into position."

As he reached over to grab Tucker, Specter began to waver and rubbed his forehead.

"You okay?" Danny asked.

"Yeah… just tired," said Specter, "And a little drained. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Specter grabbed Tucker, turned intangible, and pulled him into the stands, leaving Danny and Sam alone. Outside, Specter and Tucker phased out of the ground in front of the generator.

"Alright, do your thing, Foley," said Specter.

As Tucker began working with his PDA, he and Specter heard a struggle nearby.

"No!" Jazz exclaimed, "Let me go!"

"Jazz?" Specter asked, "Foley, stay here and keep working. I'll go check it out."

Specter turned invisible and went over to where he heard Jazz's voice. He floated around a tree and found her being carried away by Fright Knight and the Ecto-Skeleton left behind. The glass doom windshield had been cracked open.

"Hmm…" Specter pondered.

Tucker was working on the generator when Specter returned.

"Slight addition to the plan," Specter said to him.

Meanwhile, back inside, Reaper and Freakshow were waiting for Technus to finish the preparations. In the stands, Danny and Sam waited for the signal and jump in to fight. Sam turned to Danny.

"Hey, Danny?" she asked.

"What's up, Sam?" Danny asked.

"Uh… I, uh… well… I was… I'm not sure if this is the right time, but…"

"Sam?" Danny asked, turning to face her, "What's wrong?"

Sam reached back and pulled out the class ring. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Is… there a reason why my name is engraved on this ring?" she asked.

Danny's eyes widened.

"You're asking me _now_!?" he exclaimed quietly.

"Well, I didn't notice until a couple of hours ago," Sam admitted.

'Wait… you didn't know?" Danny asked.

"I read it upside-down. Heh heh," Sam chuckled.

"Oh… um, okay," said Danny.

"… so why is my name on it?" Sam asked again.

Danny looked away and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, my dad thought, you know, you and I… well… you know, dating," said Danny, "I mean, I don't know why he would think that. I guess everyone calling us 'lovebirds' got to his head or something."

"Well… do you think there's a reason people call us that?" Sam asked.

"I dunno, because we've been friends for years and we hang out all the time?" Danny suggested.

Sam sighed.

"Danny… do you… _like _me?" she asked.

Danny turned to face her.

"What kind of question is that!?" he exclaimed quietly, "Of course I like you!"

"No, Danny," said Sam, "I mean do you like me more than a friend?"

"Like what?" Danny asked, "Like a sister? Or like-"

Sam leaned over and quickly kissed Danny on the cheek, making him stop talking and blush.

"_That _kind," said Sam as she leaned back.

She nervously glanced away and wondered if she made a mistake. Suddenly, she felt something touch her hand and found Danny hold it. She looked up and saw him smiling at her.

"So… does that mean…?" Danny asked.

"Heh," Sam chuckled, "Clueless."

"I could say the same thing about you," Danny remarked, "How long?"

"I first noticed around the time Ember first showed up," Sam admitted, "What about you?"

"Honestly… I'm not really sure," Danny admitted, "I mean, there were those two times we pulled a 'fake-out make-out; though the second time I had my memories erased; and there was also the time Ember hit me with that love spell." **^******

"Yeah… that time was a bit creepy, but flattering," Sam noted.

"I guess… it was shortly after breaking up with Valerie," said Danny, "I mean, I'm sure I've always had feelings for you, Sam, but I was just too clueless to notice. It wasn't until after Valerie and I last talked that I've been really thinking about how I feel towards you."

Sam adjusted her hand so that her fingers could interlock with Danny's.

"Does this mean… we're… you know?" Sam asked.

"Not yet," Danny smiled, "There' still _one_ thing I need to do."

With his free hand, Danny put it under Sam's chin and turned her face to him. He began to lean forward.

"Uh… Is this _really _the time?" Specter asked.

"HUH!?" Danny and Sam exclaimed as the turned and found Specter poking his head through the stands.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you two idiots finally admitted your feelings for each other, but we kinda have a world to save," said Specter, "Can you save the romantic stuff _for later_?"

"Uh… yeah," Danny said nervously.

"Good," said Specter, "I just wanted to give you two a heads up that the plan has a slight modification to it."

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"You'll know when you see it," said Specter, "Uh… you might want to stop holding hands. You're supposed to be mindless slaves right now."

As Specter phased back through the stands, Danny and Sam looked down at their hands and quickly pulled them away. They awkwardly smiled and blushed.

"We'll talk more about this later," said Danny.

"Definitely," said Sam.

She reached over and handed Danny the class ring.

"You give it to me _properly_ later," she added.

Danny took the ring and put it in his pocket.

"You can count on it," he told her.

Down below, Specter was floating around invisibly around the area, looking for a good place to wait. He noticed an entrance to a side room just beneath the stands.

"Hm?" he muttered, "What's this?"

He floated inside and looked around. His eyes instantly locked-on to a familiar cage.

"Dust!" Specter exclaimed as he turned visible and flew over to her, "Are you okay?"

"Specter?" the ghost raven asked, "You found me!"

"Well, I had some help," said Specter, "I'll get you out of here."

"How? The cage is made of ecto-ranium," said Dust.

Specter brought a fist back around. It began to glow blue and he smashed his fist across the cage, shattering the bars and causing the top to fly off. Dust was dumbfounded.

"Ecto-ranium, even when refined, is very strong stuff," said Specter, "Unless you know _exactly_… where… to hit."

Dust chuckled as she tried to fly up to Specter's shoulder.

"Oh, no, you don't," said Specter, "You need rest. Get back in the medallion and rest."

"Hmph… fine," Dust pouted and dissipated into the medallion.

As Specter turned to leave, he saw Jazz sitting unconscious against the wall.

"Jazz?" Specter asked and rushed to her side.

"_Is she okay?" _Dust asked psychically.

"… She looks fine, just unconscious," said Specter, "There's not much we can do for her right now. We'll leave her here; this is the safest place for her right now, as ironic as that sounds."

"_What's the plan?" _Dust asked.

"_Phantom, Foley, and Manson join me in the center and we beat the bad guys," _Specter told her psychically.

"_Just don't let your guard down this time," _said Dust.

"_You know, I was just getting used to you not constantly talking in my head," _Specter joked as he hid from sight next to the room entrance.

"_Did you just make a joke?" _Dust asked.

Specter's eyes widened.

"_Oh, jeez, I gotta get back home," _he said, _"These guys are rubbing off on me."_

"_Wouldn't it be easier to separate Reaper and Freakshow?" _Dust asked.

In the center of the arena, Technus turned to Reaper and nodded.

"Excellent!" Reaper exclaimed, "It's now time to begin the final phase of the plan!"

He turned to Freakshow.

"Care to do the honors?" Reaper asked.

"Of course," said Freakshow, "Ladies and gentlemen! Let the show begin!"

Freakshow reached down to press the button, but just as his finger touched it, the lights all turned off and the area became pitch black.

"What's going on!?" Freakshow exclaimed.

"He's here," Reaper growled as his skull was illuminated from the red glow of his eyes.

Suddenly, somewhere in the darkness, music began to play.

"What… who's playing 'Enter Sandman'?" Reaper asked.

Reaper began to float around, trying to find the source of the music. He pulled out his scythe and growled.

"What's wrong, Reaper?" Specter's voice echoed, "Can't find what you can't see?"

Reaper spun around and swung his scythe in the darkness.

"Where are you!?" he shouted.

***WUMP***

Something hit Reaper from behind, faceplanting and skidding along the ground. He got back up and glared around in the darkness.

***WUMP***

Another hit, this time from the front, launched Reaper into the air. He didn't get a chance to recover because something hit him again in the air, slamming him down to the ground.

"Enough!" Reaper shouted, "Technus! Fix the lights!"

Technus' hands began to spark with electricity. He fired a ghost ray at a nearby electrical panel and the lights turned back on. Reaper gasped at the sight before him.

"Knock-knock," Phantom smirked as his hands began to glow green.

"Miss us?" Sam asked as she aimed her Wrist Ray at Reaper.

"'Cause we have unfinished business," Tucker smirked as he cracked his knuckles and readied the Ecto-Skeleton's boosters.

"What… how?" Reaper asked.

"Shouldn't have left your friends alone," Specter said behind Reaper, "Made it easier for me to capture them."

Reaper spun around and attempted to slice Specter, but the halfa blasted him away with a powerful ghost ray.

"That's for kidnapping my friend," said Specter, "Keep him busy while I go and get the Orbs."

"Gladly," said Sam.

Specter flew over to the dish and began to reach inside.

"And what do you think you are doing?" asked a voice next to Specter.

He turned in time to see Freakshow just before Lydia's tattoos bashed him away from the dish.

"Darn," Specter muttered as he got back to his feet, "I was wondering where you went, Lydia."

"That wasn't very nice of you to put that tracker on her, Specter," said Freakshow, "That's an invasion of privacy."

"Says the guy who broke into Manson's home and took her their minds," Specter shot back.

Lydia summoned her tattoos to her side and prepared to attack Specter again.

***POW***

Lydia was blindsided by a punch from Tucker in the Ecto-Skeleton. She collided with Freakshow and they hit the ground.

"I'll handle this, Specter," said Tucker, "You get the Orbs."

Suddenly, the sound of ghostly moans and wails began to enter the area.

"And fast," Tucker added, "Looks like we've got company."

"On it," said Specter and he dashed over to the dish.

He held out his glowing blue hand and telekinetically brought his drumstick to him from the other room.

"Well, that was fun… kinda," he smirked as he pressed the button to stop the music and stored it away.

Nearby, Reaper rocketed towards Sam as she fired her Wrist Ray at him. A stray shot hit Reaper in the face, briefly blinding him. Danny took the opportunity to fly up and punch Reaper in the face, sending him into the stands. Luckily, the mindless audience members shuffled in the theirs and didn't get hurt. Reaper sat up and glared at Danny. Danny and Sam heard the ghosts approaching and nervously turned to Specter.

"Specter, hurry!" Phantom shouted.

Specter was reaching inside the dish, but he was perplexed.

"Something's… wrong," he muttered, "The Orbs aren't here."

His enhanced eyesight was telling him that he was grabbing the Orbs, but he his hands just went through them.

"My hands are tangible inside… wait," said Specter, "Why would they need a camera crew if the Orbs are in here?"

His eyes widened as he realized that he made a grave mistake.

"Danny! Sam!" he shouted, "All of you, get out of here!"

"What!?" Tucker exclaimed, "Why!?"

"Because," Specter exclaimed as he turned around, "Reaper and Freakshow still-"

A flash of green caught Specter's eye. He quickly leaned back as Reaper's scythe blade approached his face, but the blade sliced through the goggle strap and the Goggles fell off Specter's face.

"Specter!" Danny exclaimed.

***WHAM***

Reaper shot through the air, grabbed the back of Danny's head and slammed his face into the ground. He then turned to Sam and smacked her away, causing her to tumble along the ground. When her body stopped rolling, Sam opened her eyes and found herself at Freakshow's feet.

"I'll keep a close eye on you," he said as he ripped the Wrist Ray off Sam's wrist and prevented her from escaping.

"Danny! Sam!" Tucker exclaimed.

Suddenly, ghosts began to phase from the ground and nylon around the tent, surrounding the area. Frostbite and Desiree grabbed the arms of the Ecto-Skeleton with their powers and held him in place.

"Hey!" Tucker exclaimed, "Let go!"

"Uuhhhh…" Specter moaned as he rubbed his face, "***Gasp* **Danny! Sam! Tuck-… oh, no."

Specter was surrounded by dozens of ghosts, including Skulker, Fright Knight, Ember, Walker, Youngblood, the Box Ghost, the Lunch Lady Ghost, and Spectra.

"Get him," Reaper smirked as Danny looked up.

"NO!" Phantom cried out.

Skulker fired a barrage of missiles at Specter as Ember shot out a wave of ecto-energy. Specter leapt into the air and grabbed the missiles with his telekinesis while dodging Ember's attack. He then shot the missiles back at the ghosts. They hit their targets, stunning them all. Specter then began to blink back and forth between the ghosts; punching, elbowing, and kicking his way around. It wasn't until Walker's quick hands grabbed Specter by the throat and slammed him into the ground that the ghosts began to beat him to submission.

"Reaper, stop this!" Phantom shouted, "This is insane!"

"Really?" Reaper asked, "I find this entertaining."

"You're sick!" Sam shouted, "You are a soulless freak, you know that!"

"Maybe," Reaper shrugged, "At least I can find entertainment in all sorts of ways."

"Specter!" Danny shouted.

Logan was still being subjected to the relentless onslaught as he fell to his knees. More cuts and bruises appeared on his body and his suit was getting more torn up as it went on.

"Hmph," Reaper chuckled, "So much for that promise you made to Justine."

"_So much for the promise you made to Justine, so much for that promise you made to Justine, so much for that promise you made to Justine."_

Reaper's words echoed over and over again in Specter's mind, faster and faster. His eyes shot open, one a neon green color and the other a cerulean blue that appeared to be flickering ecto-flames of the same color. Skulker's right fist went flying towards Specter's face, but the moment it made contact, Skulker's fist shattered into pieces.

"Huh!?" everyone gasped.

Skulker stared in awe where his suit's hand used to be before looking back down at Specter. Blue flames began to ignite around his body.

"_I… will… keep… that… promise,_" Specter breathed, "Rrraaaaahhhh!"

He slammed his fist into the ground and an explosion of blue flames rippled around him, hitting all the ghosts within a 12-foot radius. The ghosts all fell to the ground unconscious.

"Ugh… must I do _everything_?" Reaper moaned before he punched Danny in the face and dropped him to the ground.

He then shot forward towards Specter.

"Look out!" Sam shouted.

***WHAM***

Reaper grabbed Specter by the throat and slammed him into the ground, followed by a flurry of very fast punches across his face.

"You have been a thorn in my side for _far too long, _Specter!" Reaper growled as he continued his assault, "Two years… for two years you've been an annoying pest of an obstacle."

Specter was too weak and dazed to attack. Reaper lifted him up and threw him over towards Danny. Specter rolled along the ground and stopped next to Danny. A blue ring appeared around his waist and he reverted to human form.

"Y… you…" Trevor began to say as he lifted himself onto his hands and knees, "You planned all this… didn't you?"

"Duh," Reaper replied, "Everything, from you finding the map and me capturing your little birdie friend all the way to Magnus failing to defeat you and capturing you, Phantom, and his little friends."

"So you just used Vlad and Magnus as pawns, eh?" Trevor asked, "Typical."

"All's fair in love and war," Reaper smirked.

Phantom moaned as he brought himself up to one knee.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Reaper exclaimed "No more chances for you."

"What are going to do?" Trevor asked, "Bore us to death with your annoying voice?"

"Kill you?" Reaper laughed, "So naïve… I'm going to control all of your _minds_!"

"Can I choose the easy way out and go with death?" Trevor asked, "I hear being a full ghost actually isn't all that bad… assuming I become a full ghost."

"Keep dreaming, Trevor," Reaper smirked, "Lydia! Freakshow! You're up!"

Lydia's tattoos flew over to Danny and Trevor, grabbing their wrists and forcing them to stay on the ground.

"Hey! What gives!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Oh, hush now, boy," said Freakshow as e revealed the red and blue Orbs of Power in each of his hands, "Don't make this more difficult than this needs to be."

"Freakshow?" Reaper asked, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Hm? Oh! Right!" Freakshow exclaimed, "Lydia, please be a dear and remove those goggles off Phantom."

Lydia waved a hand out and a couple of tattoos floated to Danny's face and pulled the Goggles down and around his neck.

"Better," Reaper smirked.

"Hey…" said Trevor, getting Danny's, Tucker's, and Sam's attention, "I'm… sorry. For everything."

"Hey, you did your best," said Danny, "I'm sure even my future self would be proud."

"Heh… heh-heh," Trevor weakly chuckled, "Look at you, always the optimistic one, huh? ***Sigh* **Still… I shouldn't have sent you guys back home. We should have stayed together and followed Lydia together."

"No one's blaming you, Trevor," said Sam.

"I do," Trevor replied.

He glanced over and saw the Freakshow was now standing before him and Danny. The circus ringleader held the red Orb in front of Danny's face and the blue Orb in front of Trevor's.

"You will obey me," said Freakshow.

Danny and Trevor struggled as they resisted the Orbs' influence.

"Do as I say," Freakshow ordered.

"Drop… dead," Trevor remarked.

"It will be faster if you use both Orbs at once on them, one at a time," said Reaper.

"Any preference as to who I should deal with first?" Freakshow asked.

"Trevor," Reaper smiled evilly.

Freakshow pulled the Orb away from Danny's face and held the two closer towards Trevor's.

"Uuugghhh…. Ah! NO!" Trevor exclaimed.

"Give in to the dark side," said Freakshow.

As Trevor resisted, his eyes began to blink between blue and red as the Orbs' influence slowly took over his mind.

"Ahh… get… get out!" he shouted, "Get out of my head!"

"Keep fighting him, Trevor!" Sam shouted.

"Don't let them win!" Tucker shouted.

"Silence!" Reaper exclaimed, rushing over to Sam and putting his scythe against her throat, "Another word from anyone and she's a goner!"

"Give in, Trevor," said Freakshow, "Do as I say."

"No…. No!" Trevor shouted as his eyes continued to change colors.

"Transform," Freakshow smiled.

A light blue ring appeared around Trevor. He strained against the Orbs' influence on him as the rings split and went up and down a couple of inches. He fought against his mind to not transform, but the rings continued on their path and he turned into Logan Specter. His suit was fully repaired, save for the white scarf that was still tattered at the ends.

"Good," said Freakshow, "Now, tell me who your master is."

Specter continued to fight his ghostly restraints, but Lydia's hold was too strong for him to break free.

"Saltu… for… klifo," Specter said defiantly.

**(Jump off a cliff.)**

"Join us!" Freakshow shouted, "How is it that you've resisted this long?"

"Uuugghhh… no… No!" Specter cried out as tears formed in his eyes, "Get out! Get out of my head!"

Suddenly, his flickering eyes began to glow a faint dark blue that grew brighter and brighter every second. Danny, Tucker, and Sam could do nothing but watch.

"Get out of my head!" Specter shouted, "I said get… out…"

His eyes were now burning a bright deep blue color.

"Of… My… HEEEEEAAAA-**Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO~!**"

A stream of blue ecto-energy erupted from Specter's mouth, hitting Freakshow and Lydia like a freight train and sent them into the far wall, trapping them under some debris. Freakshow had dropped the Orbs and they fell to the ground in front of the two half-ghosts. Everyone in the area gasped as Specter stopped and slumped down, breathing heavily.

"Im-possible…" Reaper exclaimed as he stared at Specter in disbelief, "That's impossible! You… you can't possibly possess the Ghostly Wail! It's impossible!"

The tattoos around Specter's wrists dissipated as he reverted back to human form. He looked over and saw that Freakshow had dropped the Orbs. Exhausted, Trevor began to scramble towards them.

"Oh, no you don't!" Reaper roared as he shoved Sam to the ground and rocketed toward Trevor.

"Trevor!" Sam screamed.

"Look out!" Tucker shouted.

As Trevor reached out to grab the Orbs, his eyes glanced over to Reaper, who was now within striking distance with his scythe. Trevor shut his eyes as Reaper began to swing, bracing for the attack.

***WHAM***

Trevor fell to the ground and opened his eyes.

"Huh?" he exclaimed as he found himself holding the Orbs of Power in his hands, "What the… how am I not…?"

Trevor glanced over and saw that Danny had kneed Reaper in the gut. Reaper was stunned.

"That was for threatening my girlfriend," said Danny before he socked Reaper in the face.

Reaper flew back a few feet before he recovered and glared at Danny. He fired his eyebeams at him, but Danny was ready and absorbed the attack through one hand and fired it back at Reaper out the other.

"GGggaahhh…" Reaper groaned, "Why you-"

***CLANG***

Something flew through the air and hit Reaper in the head. Danny, Tucker, and Sam watched as the object spun through the air until Trevor caught it in his hand.

"Heh… guess the Booo-merang had its use after all," he smirked before glaring at Reaper, "That was for slitting my throat."

Reaper glared at Trevor and attempted to throw his scythe at him, but an energy beam blindsided him, momentarily stunning him. Everyone turned to see Jazz standing in front of the side room entrance, donning the Fenton Peeler suit.

"You had that the _entire time_!?" Trevor exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Had to make sure Tucker got the Ecto-Skeleton first," Jazz smirked.

Trevor rolled his eyes as he put the Booo-merang away and held the Orbs out in each hand. He then turned to face Reaper.

"Say 'goodbye' to your slaves," said Trevor as he slammed the Orbs together.

"NO!" Reaper screamed.

***K-Sssshhhh***

Red and blue fragments flew everywhere as a shockwave of blue and red-mixed energy spread across all of Amity Park, freeing humans and ghosts from the control Reaper and Freakshow had on them. In the stands Maddie, Jeremy, and Pam shook their heads to get them cleared.

"Ooohhh… what happened?" Maddie asked.

"What's going on? Where are we?" Pam asked.

The two women looked at each other and glared.

"What are _you _doing here, Fenton!?" Pam exclaimed, "You had something to do with this, didn't you!?"

"_Me_!?" Maddie exclaimed, "I have no idea what's going on or how we got here!"

Reaper screamed loudly in rage, getting the attention of everyone in the tent.

"This place will be your _grave_!" he shouted at Trevor.

"GHOST!" everyone screamed and began to run out of the big top in a panic.

Reaper gripped his scythe tightly, causing his leather gloves to squeak. He glared at Danny and flew towards him. Phantom fired a cryokinetic ghost ray towards the ground and formed a wall of ice between him and Reaper, causing the ghost the slam into it.

"Ggggrrrrgghh," Reaper growled, "I've had enough! You will all die now!"

"Hey… Reaper!" Trevor called out, getting his attention, "Forgetting about something?"

Reaper glared at Trevor as the half-ghost gestured up towards the air. Reaper looked up and saw dozens of very angry ghosts glaring at him.

"Pah!" Reaper scoffed, "You think I care!? All of you- no, _none_ of you have any chance at beating me!"

Trevor reached behind himself and pulled out his Fenton Thermos.

"Don't be so sure," he said as he released Magnus and Plasmius from their prison.

"So, you've released my partners," said Reaper, "Why?"

"_Partners_?" Magnus asked, "I thought we were… what did you call us, Trevor?"

"Pawns," he replied.

"Right," said Plasmius, "Fodder for your plans to take over the world."

Reaper looked around anxiously as everyone began to close in on him.

"Heh… heh… heh-heh…" he began to laugh, "Ha-hahahahahah… AH-HAHAHAHAHA!"

"What's so funny, chuckles?" Phantom asked.

"You fools think those were the _only _Orbs of Power I had!?" Reaper asked, "Behold!"

He reached into his cloak and revealed the Orb of Strength, causing everyone in the room to gasp.

"With this Orb alone, I can take all of you out at once with ease," Reaper explained.

"Uh… you know what?" Skulker asked, "I think we should all head back to the Ghost Zone."

He immediately took off, followed by the other ghosts, leaving only Phantom, Tucker, Sam, Jazz, and Trevor to face him. Plasmius began to leave, but not without Danny noticing.

"Vlad!" he shouted, "Where are you going!?"

"Well, Daniel, I'm a very busy man," Vlad explained, "Don't worry, I'm sure the five of you can handle him. Toodles!"

"Vlad!" Danny shouted, but the villain flew off, "Coward!"

"So what will you do now, Trevor?" Reaper asked, "Will you get on your knees and beg for my mercy?"

Trevor deadpanned as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"Why?" he asked, "And just hand you the _real _Orb of Strength?"

Everyone turned and saw Trevor holding what appeared to be another yellow Orb of Strength.

"There are two of them!?" Danny exclaimed.

"Nope," Trevor smirked as he put the Orb away, "But I _did _give the Observants a fake one last time I met with them."

"WHAT!?" everyone exclaimed.

"Yep," Trevor continued, "What? Did you guys really think I would trust the Observants with something so powerful?"

Reaper glanced down at the Orb in his hands for a moment before crushing it to dust.

"You… you played me," he growled, "Heh… well done. But there's one thing you've still forgotten."

Reaper reached into his cloak and pulled out a book.

"He has the map!" Sam exclaimed.

"Yes, I do," Reaper smirked as he ripped the page out of the book before tossing it to the ground, "There are still three more Orbs out there… and _I _plan on preventing you from ever getting them."

"You'll have to get through us first," said Trevor as a blue ring appeared around his waist and went ghost.

"This will be fun," Reaper smirked.

Near the big top entrance, Jack and Maddie were standing in shock at the scene before them as Team Phantom and Reaper began to battle once more and people continued to run past them.

"Jack…" said Maddie, "Did… that boy just turn into _a ghost_!?"

"I… I've never seen anything like it!" Jack exclaimed, "Except for…"

Jack and Maddie looked at each other and their eyes widened.

"Danny!" they exclaimed.

"So that's why Jazz was asking us those questions!" Maddie realized, "Because our son…. _Is Phantom_!"

"I don't believe it…" said Jack, "How could we have not seen it!?"

The two Fentons watched as their son dodged Reaper's attacks and fought him off. Jack pulled out the Fenton Foamer and glared at the ghost.

"Maddie, go get the RV ready," Jack ordered.

"What are you doing?" Maddie asked as Jack began to enter the tent.

"I'm going to help our children," he replied.

Specter grabbed Reaper with his telekinesis as Danny flew in and punched him in the face.

***BAM***

Reaper slammed into the wall and glared at the team as they closed in on him.

"You have nowhere to run, bonehead!" Jazz exclaimed.

Reaper fired his eyebeams toward Jazz and turned his head towards everyone else.

"Get down!" Danny ordered and everyone hit the ground, just missing the attack.

"Hm," Reaper smirked and rocketed toward Phantom, "Die!"

Suddenly, a green blob of foam shot through the air and hit Reaper in the chest.

"Ah… what… what is this!?" Reaper exclaimed as he struggled in the ball of foam.

"Stay away from my son, you vile ghost!" Jack shouted as he stood over Phantom.

"Jack!?" Danny exclaimed, "You… saved me? Wait… did he just call me 'son'?"

Phantom glanced back up and saw Jack winking at him over his shoulder. Reaper struggled some more and broke free from the foam.

"That's it, I'll kill you first, Fenton!" Reaper screamed and readied his scythe.

"Which one?" Jazz smirked.

"Both will suffice," Reaper growled.

"I don't think so," said Jack as he fired the Foamer and trapped Reaper in more foam.

"Hit him with everything you've got!" Danny ordered.

Sam, Jazz, and Specter fired ghost rays at Reaper, stunning him long enough for Tucker to rush in with the Ecto-Skeleton and kick him across the arena. Reaper tumbled across the ground before recovering. He looked up, revealing that he was bleeding ectoplasm from the top of this skull.

"Is that all you got?" he asked, "Just a little tickle?"

"No," said Phantom as he faced Reaper, "But let's how you handle _this_."

He leaned back and prepared to unleash his most powerful attack.

"I'm not getting hit by _that_!" Reaper exclaimed as he turned to leave.

"Oh, yes, you are!" said a female voice.

Reaper turned back around and saw a ghost of a young preteen girl with long black hair, which covered one of her deep blue eyes, and pale purple skin, wearing a simple black dress and a cloak made of black raven feathers.

"Boli kali ithikitalkus!" she chanted as she raised her hands and a purple rune appeared in each.

Beneath Reaper, a pair of green chains erupted from the ground where another rune appeared; grabbing his arms and holding him in place.

"What!?" Reaper exclaimed, "What is this!?"

"You go, Dust," Specter smirked.

"_That's Dust_!?" Tucker and Sam exclaimed.

Reaper's eyes widened as he turned back to Phantom.

***Whoo-oo-OO-OO-OO-oo-oo-oo-OO-OO~***

The wave of ecto-energy slammed into Reaper, pushing him into a wall just below the stands and smothered him into it.

"You think you've won, huh!?" Reaper shouted over the Ghostly Wail, "Well, I've got news for you! You may have beaten me this time, but I will return!"

That said, Reaper turned intangible and phased out of the chains and through the wall. Danny stopped his Ghostly Wail and sighed.

"He got away!" he exclaimed.

"Great," Specter muttered, "The Observants are going to have a field day with this one."

"Sorry, Specter," Dust said sadly, "I guess I wasn't strong enough…"

"Ah, don't blame yourself, Dust," said Specter as he put a hand on her shoulder, "You tried your best."

Suddenly, something green flew through the air and sliced through the satellite dish. Specter looked up and saw Reaper catching his scythe.

"Farewell!" Reaper shouted as he vanished.

The dish began to fall towards the gang.

"We need to get out of here!" Tucker shouted.

Everyone turned and ran for the exit as Dust materialized back into Specter's time medallion.

"Oh, almost forgot," Specter muttered as he turned around.

He held his hand out and telekinetically remove some debris and found Freakshow and Lydia were unconscious. Specter pulled out his Thermos and captured Lydia before telekinetically lifting Freakshow outside. Sam was halfway there when she felt something grab her ankle and trip her.

"Not so fast," said a dark voice.

Sam looked down and saw Reaper phased from the ground and holding her. Phantom turned around and saw Sam on the ground.

"Sam!" he shouted and rocketed towards her.

"Danny!" she shouted as the dish was about to crush her.

A blue ghost ray shot past Danny and hit Reaper in the face, causing him to let go of Sam.

"No way you're killing anyone else," Specter growled.

Sam quickly got back to her feet and ran towards Danny. Danny gasped as the dish came closer. He picked up Sam bridal style and rushed for the exit.

***BOOM***

Tucker, Jazz, Specter, and Jack turned and gasped as a cloud of dust erupted from the tent.

"Danny!" Jazz shouted.

Everyone waited for a moment, but no response came. Maddie rolled up in the RV and stepped out. Specter fell to his knees and slammed his fists to the ground as Jazz relinquished the Peeler's suit. Freakshow's body plopped to the ground. Dust materialized in her raven form on Specter's shoulder with her head hung.

"I… failed…" Specter said softly.

"Jack?" Maddie asked, "Where's Danny?"

Jack hung his head.

"Look!" Tucker exclaimed, pointing to the tent.

Everyone looked up and saw Danny Fenton carrying Sam out of the tent, both unharmed.

"Cutting it a bit close there, don't you think?" Sam smiled.

"Sorry," Danny laughed, "Couldn't let anything happen to you, could I?"

"Well, you _did _call me your girlfriend," Sam teased, causing Danny's eyes to widen.

"I… did?" he asked.

"Danny!" everyone exclaimed.

Danny put Sam down onto her feet as Jazz, Jack, and Maddie gave him a group hug.

"Oh, Danny!" Maddie cried, "I'm so sorry! We didn't mean to attack you when you told us your secret!"

"Can you find it in your heart to forgive us, son?" Jack asked.

"So… you guys know I'm Phantom?" Danny asked.

"Phantom!?" Jack and Maddie exclaimed, "You are what!?"

Danny's eyes widened in horror.

"Uh…"

"We're just teasing you, son," said Jack as he and Maddie began to laugh.

"Mom! Dad!" Jazz remarked, "You almost gave Danny a heart attack!"

"You guys aren't… mad at me?" Danny asked.

"No!" Maddie exclaimed, "Of course not!"

"We should be asking you that, Danny," said Jack, "Had we known that, uh… _half-ghosts _really existed…"

"I wish you had told us sooner," Maddie sighed, "Although… we might not have believed you and…"

"Guys, I'm fine," said Danny, "I'm just glad you still love me."

Jack and Maddie hugged their son once more before they glanced over at Specter and smiled.

"I believe _you _are the other half-ghost that showed up recently?" Maddie asked.

"Something like that," Specter replied as a blue ring appeared around his waist and he reverted to human form, "It's a long story."

Danny turned to Tucker, Sam, and Jazz as they smiled at him. He smiled back.

"SAMANTHA MANSON!"

"Oh, come… _on_!" Sam moaned as she turned to see her parents marching towards her.

"What in the world are you doing here!?" Jeremy asked.

"Didn't we tell you to stay away from that Fenton boy!?" Pam asked as she glared at Danny.

"For crying out loud, can't you guys leave him alone!?" Sam shouted.

"We saw him carrying you out of that tent," said Jeremy, "Did he bring you here!?"

"What?" Sam asked, "No, we-"

"You could have been seriously injured!" Pam exclaimed, "First our library now this!? This is unacceptable! We are taking you home right now!"

Pam grabbed Sam's arm and dragged her away; not before ripping the Fenton Goggles off her face and throwing them to the ground. Danny sulked for a moment before Tucker punched him on the arm.

"Ow! Tucker!" he exclaimed.

"Dude, go after her!" Tucker told him, "You have ghost powers! Go talk to her!"

"Why?" Danny asked, playing dumb.

"Danny…" Tucker deadpanned, "go talk to your _girlfriend_."

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, "We're not-"

"Phantom, don't play the stupid card," said Trevor, "You couldn't bluff about your feelings even if your life depended on it. Heck, you couldn't bluff for _beans_!"

Danny looked between Tucker, Trevor, and his family, who was smiling for allegedly getting together with Sam.

"I… guess you're right, Tucker," Danny smiled and ran off after the Mansons.

The gang watched Danny disappear over the hill, at which point Trevor turned to Tucker.

"Isn't there some kind of pool you had going on at school?" he asked Tucker.

"Oh, it's going to be payday first day of school," Tucker smirked, "It's gonna _raaaaiiin~_."

"You ever sing again, I'm gonna turn you into a mute," Trevor warned as he took his hands off his ears.

"Come on, kids!" Jack called out from the RV, "Time to head home!"

Trevor pulled Tucker over to Jazz.

"Don't mention anything about Vlad to them," Trevor whispered to Tucker and Jazz, "You'll need every possible advantage, including the element of surprise."

Tucker and Jazz nodded.

"What if Danny wants to tell them?" Jazz asked.

"I'm not gonna stop him," said Trevor, "But I will tell him what I think would be a good idea in case he needed it."

Just before Trevor reached the RV, two large clock hands appeared in front of him and spun around into a ghost portal.

"I guess that's for me," he sighed.

"We better go talk to Clockwork and the Observants," said Dust.

"Mm-hmm," Trevor replied before turning to Tucker and Jazz, "I'll meet you guys in a few minutes."

"Go," said Jazz, "We'll tell Danny if you don't return before he does."

Trevor nodded before he and Dust entered the portal. As it disappeared, Tucker and Jazz entered the RV and drove away with Jack and Maddie. Unfortunately, they forgot about Freakshow, who had gotten up to his feet and glanced around.

"Looks like everyone's gone," he said to himself, "Well, time for me to get out of here."

***Ahem***

Freakshow slowly turned around and found the same group of police officers he had mind-controlled early glaring at him.

"Oh, poop," he muttered.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Sam followed her parents through the front door of their home.

"You are grounded for the rest of the summer, Sam!" Jeremy announced as he and Pam pointed upstairs.

"Whatever," Sam muttered as she marched upstairs.

"And no more seeing the Fenton boy ever again, do you understand!?" Pam called out.

Sam didn't respond and slammed her bedroom door behind her as she entered her room. She sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed.

"You know," said a voice above her, "if you really wanted a new door, I'm sure you could just ask without trying to turn it into a pile of splinters."

Sam looked up and saw Phantom floating on his back, hands behind his back and legs crossed.

"Very funny," Sam smirked as Danny sat down next to her and reverted to human form, "Guess, uh… we should talk now."

"I don't think there's really much to talk about," said Danny, "I mean, we've already said a lot of things back at the tent."

"Yeah, but I want to tell you how much you mean to me," said Sam.

"Well, I'm listening," said Danny as he smiled towards her.

"I… uh… Danny, you and I… ***Scoff* **I don't know what to say," Sam admitted with a blush.

"I think I do," said Danny as he got up and took Sam's hands in his, "Sam… I've known you since we we're little kids. Back then, I thought you were the coolest friend ever."

Sam embarrassingly glanced away and smiled.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today," Danny continued, "I know I blamed you for giving me ghost powers and convincing me to go inside the Ghost Portal, but that may have been the second greatest thing to have happened in my life. I became someone new! And even though everything was different, you and Tucker never left my side. And unlike how most people would have acted if they knew my secret, you and Tucker never treated me any different. We still hung out like before the accident, as if it had never happened. And whenever we fought ghosts, great or small, I knew I could always count on you two to have my back."

"Even after ditching us for Dash's party?" Sam smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeeeeaaahhh… my bad," Danny apologized, "But especially then, you guys would always be able to forgive me, as I have forgiven you both in the past. But it wasn't just me that the accident brought the best out of; it did the same for you and Tucker. Since then, Tucker's been always finding new ways to help support me in battle, whether it's from his PDA or hacking into computers, he's been able to see how tech-savvy he's become and what he wants to do in the future."

"He also said he'd like to go into politics," Sam noted.

"Uh… exception that proves my point," Danny remarked, "But the accident also showed me all the great qualities you have as well!"

"It has?" Sam asked.

"Yeah! You've always been on the front lines with me, sticking your neck out to help me, even when there was no hope that we'd succeed," said Danny, causing Sam's blush to get redder and redder, "Like the time we entered Nocturn's dream and we faced an endless horde of Sleepwalkers. Or when Freakshow took over my mind and you risked your life to save me. Or... uh…"

Sam took her hands from Danny and grabbed his face.

"Danny," she said sternly, "Shut up and kiss me, you dork."

"Not yet," Danny smirked as he reached into his pocket, "I haven't told you the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."

Danny took Sam's left hand and slid the class ring on her finger.

"This. _This _is the greatest thing in my life," said Danny, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"I think we both know the answer to that," Sam replied.

Before Danny could react, Sam had wrapped her arms around his neck and was planting her lips onto his. He relaxed and put his hands on her back as they continued to have their first real kiss.

"Wow…" Danny smiled as he and Sam pulled away and pressed their foreheads together, "Remind me to save your life more often."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Danny and Sam jumped before they looked over towards the bedroom door and saw Jeremy and Pam standing there in disbelief.

"How did you get in here!?" Jeremy asked Danny, "And what do you think you are doing with my daughter!?"

"Nothing that concerns you!" Sam snapped, "Have you guys ever heard of knocking!?"

"Don't change the subject, young lady!" Pam remarked, "You've been lying to us this whole time! You have been dating this boy, haven't you!?"

"We have not!" Sam insisted, "But… we are now."

"WHAT!?" Jeremy and Pam exclaimed as they entered the room.

Suddenly, someone began to giggle from the doorway. It turned out to be Sam's grandmother, Ida, who rolled in on her mobility scooter.

"You go, Bubeleh!" Ida exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

"Mother!" Jeremy exclaimed, "How can you condone this!? That boy put Samantha in harm's way and-"

"Oh, that's a bunch of phooey!" Ida exclaimed, 'I'm certain that what happened in the library was just an accident. Right, Danny?"

"Uh… yeah!" said Danny, "Just an accident."

"It doesn't matter," said Pam, "We found Sam at the… whatever event that was, _with _Fenton and she was almost killed inside!"

"And that's Danny's fault?" Ida asked with a raised eyebrow, "Weren't we all possessed by that evil man and forced to go there?"

"I… wait, what?" Jeremy asked, "Were… we?"

Pam began to scratch her head.

"Ida, that's crazy!" she exclaimed, "Even then, Fenton was at the tent and my daughter was almost killed by a falling satellite dish!"

"You two are so focused on what you think your daughter needs that you can't see what she has that makes her happy," Ida explained, "And Danny makes her _very _happy."

Jeremy and Pamela turned to face Danny and Sam. After a moment of debating silently, they sighed.

"Alright…" said Jeremy, "I suppose if it makes Samantha happy, I'll allow it."

"Really!?" Sam asked with joy.

"For now!" Jeremy finished, "I'm still completely sure I approve of this."

"But if anything happens," said Pam, "you two will not be allowed together again. Are we clear?"

"Mom!" Sam exclaimed.

Jeremy and Pam glared at the teens.

"Fine," Sam sighed, "But we'll prove to you how wrong you are."

"That'll be the day," said Jeremy, "As for you, Fenton, if _anything _happens to our daughter…"

"I'll make sure nothing ever does," Danny said sternly.

"Enough torturing these two already," said Ida, "Let them have some time alone."

Jeremy and Pamela gave Danny one last warning glare before they left the room.

"Don't worry about those two," Ida told Danny and Sam, "They were in a similar situation when they were your age."

"Thanks, grandma," said Sam and she gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Anything for you, Bubeleh," Ida smiled before turning to Danny, "Just keep my granddaughter safe… _Phantom_."

Danny and Sam dropped their jaws.

"Oh, and Specter?" Ida called out towards Sam's bedroom window, "You can stay in the guestroom as long as you need. It won't be an issue."

Danny and Sam turned towards the window and watched as Specter's head slowly appeared from above.

"How in the heck did you know I was here?" Specter asked, "Wait, are you one of those crazy old people who pretend to be crazy but actually know what's going on?"

Ida simply smiled as she turned and left.

"You are, aren't you!?" Specter exclaimed, "Figures."

"How long have you been spying on us?" Sam asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"About five minutes," Specter replied as he floated through the window and landed next to them, "I was just coming by to grab my stuff."

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Time's up," Specter replied, "I can't stay here, as much as I don't want to leave."

"But what about Reaper? And the map!?" Danny asked.

Green ecto-energy poured out of Specter's chest and morphed into a raven on his shoulder.

"Reaper will be dealt with," Dust replied, "Only… without us."

"Glad to see you're okay," said Sam.

"As for the map," said Specter, "we- I mean, _you guys_ still have it."

"What? How?" Danny asked.

Specter pulled out his cellphone and handed it to Danny.

"I took a picture, remember?" Specter smirked.

On the screen was the picture he had taken back in the library.

"Reaper thinks you guys won't be able to find him, but he doesn't know about this," Specter explained.

"And what makes you think you're leaving?" Sam asked, "The Observants-"

"It wasn't the Observants final decision," Specter interrupted, "It was-"

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"Mine," said Clockwork, who was in his adult form.

Danny, Tucker, Sam, Logan, and Dust were back in Clockwork's lair talking to him and the two Observants.

"What!?" Phantom, Tucker, and Sam exclaimed.

"Clockwork, you can't do this!" Danny exclaimed, "Specter-"

"Has failed to capture Reaper," the two Observants at the same time.

"This is the thanks I get for saving their sorry hides," Specter noted.

"It was your fault to begin with!" the first Observant remarked, "If you hadn't given us that fake Orb-"

"Enough!" Clockwork said loudly as he morphed into his elderly form, "While Logan was able to rescue Dust and stop Reaper from controlling the world this time, it has become clear that it is too dangerous to allow him to work on his own accord anymore."

"And his time is up!" the second Observant noted, "Now, Specter! Your time medallion."

Specter took a deep breath and sighed as he reached into his suit to grab the medallion.

"Not happening!" Danny shouted and stood between Specter and the Observants.

"Danny?" Specter asked.

"Daniel?" Clockwork asked.

"Sorry, Clockwork, but you know that this is wrong!" Phantom argued, "We need every advantage possible if we are going to defeat Reaper. Maybe we need Specter, maybe we don't; but he went after him through time with no powers and no chance of succeeding. You could have sent him back at any time before, but you didn't! You want him here, working together with us. Because you know that without Specter, Reaper will win."

Clockwork stared at Phantom as he morphed into his infant form, staying silent for a moment as he thought over those words.

"Clockwork, you can't possibly be considering-" the first Observant exclaimed.

"I am," Clockwork smiled, "And he's right."

"What?" Specter asked, turning to Dust in disbelief.

"If there's any chance at defeating Reaper, then returning you home would be a mistake," Clockwork said to Specter, "Afterall, you haven't abused the medallion's powers nor caused any world ending reactions. There's no reason to send you back."

"This is unacceptable!" the Observants shouted.

"No!" Clockwork exclaimed, "This is what's right."

"The Council will not like this," the first Observant noted.

"Oh, yeah?" Specter asked, "How about we tell them about how you two morons constantly try to get Clockwork to alter the future? I can point out at least twenty of you that have done so. Or at least _will _do so."

"You little-"

"We can discuss this later," Clockwork told the Observants as he morphed into his adult form, "For now, leave now. I have other matters to discuss with them."

The Observants glared at Specter before turning and leaving.

"Wasn't expecting this," Specter whispered to Dust.

"Me either," she replied.

Clockwork sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Need a vacation?" Specter asked.

"Technically, this _is _my vacation," Clockwork replied, "Doing my job nonstop is the same thing as a permanent vacation."

"I suppose you are always _on the clock_," Danny quipped.

"… ***PFFT***" Specter snorted.

"Jokes aside," Clockwork continued as he morphed into his elderly form, "Reaper must be captured as soon as possible. We can't afford to lose the Orbs we already have and risk him collect the remaining three."

"By the way, where are those two Orbs you broke, Logan?" Tucker asked.

Specter's eyes widened.

"Oh, shoot… I left them at the tent!" he exclaimed.

"WHAT!?" Tucker exclaimed.

"Nah, I'm just messing with ya," Specter smirked, "I've got the fragments in my pocket."

"May I see them?" Clockwork asked.

Specter used his telekinesis to show Clockwork the multiple pieces.

"As long as they remain in pieces, they shouldn't be a problem," he told the ghost of time.

"Indeed," said Clockwork, "Keep them safe."

"I will," said Specter as he put them away, "_We _will. Does this mean I'm allowed to stay?"

"For now," said Clockwork, "But on one condition; No more going solo. You can't keep them in the dark anymore. You've seen the consequences."

"… I can work with that," said Specter.

"But if the Council votes to send you home, I cannot do anything about it," Clockwork warned.

"How long will he have?" Danny asked.

"Enough," Clockwork smirked.

"Cryptic as always," Specter noted.

"We won't fail," Dust told Clockwork.

"We should head back," said Danny, "It's been a long night and Jazz leaves tomorrow morning."

"It… _is _morning," said Specter.

"I know," said Danny.

"Oh, so it actually is tomorrow," said Specter.

"One moment, Specter," said Clockwork as he morphed into his infant form, "There is one thing I can tell you."

"Oh, jeez, don't tell me these two are actually my parents," Specter moaned as he thumbed over to Danny and Sam.

"Is he messing with us?" Sam asked Danny.

"Since you've created a new timeline, Reaper's actions will now have unforeseeable consequences," Clockwork explained, "Even your actions."

"Are we talking unforeseeable from my perspective or yours?" Specter asked, "Because if you can't foresee anything, we're in big trouble."

"What do you think?" Clockwork smiled.

"I know, I know," said Specter, "You know everything."

"Even then, too many alterations to the timeline could make things difficult in the long run," Clockwork warned as he morphed into his adult form, "I suggest you complete your mission as quickly as possible."

The ghost of time waved his staff out and created a ghost portal next to the team.

"I wish I could be of more help, but I am limited to what I can offer," he told the team.

"You've done more than enough, Clockwork," said Danny.

"Don't worry, Reaper won't succeed," said Specter, "Besides… it's not like I have a reason to actually stay any longer than I need to after Reaper's been captured."

The team jumped through the portal and it closed before them.

"Not yet," Clockwork sighed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Somewhere in the middle of the woods, Reaper floated aimlessly around.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, "I was seconds away from making my plan run smoothly! ***Sigh* **No matter…"

He reached into his cloak and pulled out the map.

"I still have the map," Reaper smiled, "There's no way they'll be able to find the Orbs of Power themselves. And with Specter returning to the future, there is no way for Phantom to track me down, let alone stop me!"

Reaper's evil maniacal laugh filled the air.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

The day arrived that Jazz was finally leaving for college. She was putting her luggage in the taxicab in front of the Fenton Works. Danny and Trevor walked outside, each with a box in their hands.

"Thanks for the help, you two," said Jazz.

"No problem," said Trevor as he placed the box in the trunk.

"I still understand why you won't tell us about who Reaper was talking about," said Jazz, "Something about you keeping a promise?"

"… I don't want to talk about it," Trevor replied, "It's… personal."

"Didn't Clockwork-" said Danny.

"It's something… I'd rather talk about it when I'm ready," said Trevor as he took helped Danny put his box into the cab.

"And about Dust…" said Danny, "If she knew how to use magic, why didn't she use it before?"

Green ecto-energy erupted from Trevor's shirt and formed into a ghost raven perched on Trevor's shoulder.

"It's something I'm not proud of talking about," Dust explained before turning to Trevor, "I guess you've known?"

"Dust, we've known each other for almost a year now," said Trevor, "You have your secrets, I have mine. But it was bound to happen that we'd know some of those secrets."

Dust turned away.

"So you know?" she asked.

Trevor whispered something in her ear.

"And… you're not mad?" Dust asked.

"We'll talk about this later," said Trevor, "Not very appropriate to have this discussion when Fenton is leaving."

Jazz turned to Danny and smiled.

"What?" Danny asked.

"Nothing," Jazz sighed, "I'm just… scared."

"Of what? College?" Danny asked.

"A little, but that's not it," said Jazz, "I'm worried about you."

"Me?" Danny asked.

"I'm scared about what will happen to you," Jazz explained, "Out of every ghost you've fought, Reaper is a whole different enemy. I feel that the next time he shows up… you won't come back."

Tears started to form in Jazz's eyes and Danny gave her a hug.

"Jazz…" Danny said as he pulled away, "Nothing's going to happen to me. I've had times where I've been beaten, but I've always managed to come back."

He reached back and pulled out Bearbert Einstein.

"I promise," he said has he handed Jazz her bear, "We _will_ stop Reaper. Nothing will happen to me, or Tucker, or Sam, or-"

"Do _NOT _add me to that list!" Trevor exclaimed, startling Danny and Jazz, "Sorry, but it doesn't matter what happens to me."

"What do you mean?" someone asked.

Danny, Jazz, Trevor, and Dust turned and saw Tucker and Sam approaching them.

"You don't care about what happens to you?" Tucker asked.

"I care more about keeping you all alive," said Trevor.

"You guys here for Danny and Trevor?" Jazz asked.

"Are you kidding?" Tucker asked, "We came to say goodbye."

"Aw, thanks," said Jazz as she walked over and hugged Tucker and Sam.

"You better not break his heart, Sam," Jazz warned Sam as she pulled away, "Because if you do, I will make your life the most miserable life possible!"

"Whoa-ho-ho! Easy!" Sam exclaimed, "That's the _last _thing I want!"

The sound of two people crying got the team's attention; they turned and saw Jack and Maddie carrying boxes outside, with tears rolling down their cheeks.

"Mom? Dad?" Jazz asked, "Are you okay!"

"No…." Jack whined as he placed his box in the cab, "***Gasp* **Yes…"

He grabbed Jazz and pulled her into a tight bearhug.

"My little Jazzerincess has become an adult!" Jack cried, "I'm so proud of you."

"Dad… you're… crushing… me," Jazz croaked.

"Hm?" Jack muttered as he looked down, "Oh, sorry, Jazz."

He let her go and Jazz gasped for air.

"We are just so happy for you, Jazz," said Maddie as she wiped her face, "We know you're ready to move on with your life, but a part of us still wish you were our little girl."

Jazz gave her mom a hug.

"This might sound weird coming from me," said Jazz, "but I'll _always _be your little girl."

Jack joined in the hug, followed by Danny, Tucker, and Sam.

"We're gonna miss you," said Danny as tears began to form in everyone's eyes.

"I'll miss all of you too" said Jazz.

Trevor had distanced himself from the group, but seeing the group hug caused him to rub his eyes.

"You okay?" Dust asked.

"Yeah… Seeing this reminded me of something," Trevor replied.

He pulled out his phone and checked the time.

"Hate to be a killjoy, but you need to get going, Jazz," he told her, "Your flight leaves soon."

The group hug broke apart and the gang wiped their faces.

"Well… I guess this is it," Jazz sighed.

"Don't worry," said Danny, "We'll be fine. We can handle anything."

"I know," said Jazz.

She leaned over and kissed Danny on the forehead.

"Jazz! Gross!" Danny exclaimed, rubbing his forehead.

He noticed Jazz raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, alright," he sighed, "I love you too, Jazz."

Jazz hugged her brother one more time before turning to Trevor.

"Promise me that nothing will happen to them," Jazz told him.

"Not exactly a 'promise person'," said Trevor.

"Please?" Jazz asked.

"***Sigh* **Alright," he said, "I promise nothing will happen to them."

Jazz nodded and climbed into the cab. As the cab drove off, Jazz looked behind and watched as everyone waved goodbye to her. Once the cab was out of sight, Danny sighed.

"Don't worry, Danny," Sam told him as she took his hand in hers, "It's not like this will be the last time we ever see her again."

Jack and Maddie turned towards Trevor.

"What do we do now?" Jack asked, "How do we find Reaper?"

"We don't," Trevor replied.

"What!?" Maddie exclaimed.

"Not until Reaper makes his next move," Dust explained, "We don't know where he _is_."

"But we do know where he _will _be," Danny finished.

"Exactly," said Trevor, "If we can figure out where the remaining Orbs of Power are located, we can prepare ourselves for Reaper."

"But we only have one shot at it," Dust warned, "If Reaper finds out we also have the map…"

"Boom," said Trevor as he snapped his fingers, "Game over. We lose our only chance at capturing him."

"Do you recognize anything from the map?" Sam asked.

"No, I don't," Trevor replied, "They could be in the Ghost Zone, somewhere on Earth, or, dare I say, someplace else."

"What should we do until then?" Tucker asked.

"I have some ideas," said Trevor, "What about you, Phantom?"

Danny tapped his chine for a moment.

"Well, you're from the future, Trevor," Danny began.

"Wow, just realized that now?" Trevor joked dryly.

"You said my future self trained you, so why don't you train us?" Danny asked.

Trevor raised an eyebrow.

"The only way I can train you right now is to spar," he said, "I can't teach you how to use any new powers you may or may not develop if I don't have them myself."

"Then we'll do that," said Danny, "You will train me the same way you were trained."

"Danny… that's not an order you want to take," Trevor warned, "You weren't the only one who trained me. Not only that, I pushed myself beyond my limits and more. I had a reason."

"Well, Reaper threatening our future is _my _reason," said Danny, "You allowed us to find Reaper. Let us fight him now."

Trevor glanced around at everyone, watching as they stood by Danny's side. He glanced over a Dust for a moment and communicated silently for a moment.

"Very well, Phantom," said Trevor, "Fair warning though, I'm not going to go easy on you guys, alright? I will not hold back, which might end up getting you guys seriously injured. _Or worse_. If you guys are serious about going head to head with Reaper, then you need to know how to fight aggressively and passively under the right conditions. You've seen what Reaper can do. One mistake and you will die. I'm not trying to scare you guys; I'm being realistic here. Plasmius, Undergrowth, even Magnus- pick _any _other ghost you've faced so far, they will show some form of mercy. Reaper has _none_. Are you all _certain_ that this is what you guys want to do?"

Danny took a deep breath.

"Yes."

Everyone else nodded one by one.

"This is either your biggest mistake…" said Trevor, "Or the best decision you'll ever make."

"I made that decision yesterday," Danny smirked as he pulled Sam closer to his side.

"So… when do we start?" Tucker asked.

Suddenly, people down the street began to scream and run away in a panic. Everyone looked over and wondered what was going on. They ran down the street to see what was going on, only to skid to a halt when they saw what it was.

"Seriously!?" Trevor exclaimed.

Up in the air, Skulker, Technus, the Box Ghost, Walker, and countless other ghosts turned to face them.

"You idiots couldn't last more than _a day_ without causing trouble!?" Trevor shouted, "We save your sorry hides, and _this _is the thanks we get!?"

"Oh, boohoo!" Technus exclaimed, "It's your fault for not catching Reaper!"

"For someone monikered as 'the Hunter', you do a poor job hunting," Skulker smirked.

"I didn't call myself that," said Trevor as he rolled his eyes.

"Look, Skulker," said Danny, "You can all your other ghost pals can either leave now, peacefully. Or… you can fight all of us. Which will it be?"

Skulker glanced over to the other ghosts and all smirked.

"And miss the chance of taking your pelt?" Skulker asked as he activated his wrist-mounted rocket launcher, "I think not."

"Alright," Danny smiled with a shrug, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

A white ring appeared around Danny's waist; a light blue ring appeared around Trevor's waist; Tucker pulled out the Fenton Chiller; Sam readied her Fenton Wrist Ray; Dust morphed into her normal form and hands began to glow purple; and Jack and Maddie readied the Fenton Foamer and Fenton Bazooka.

"Let the training begin," Specter smirked as Phantom led the team into the fight.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

Down in his secret lab, Vlad Masters was pacing back in forth in anger.

"Unbelievable!" he exclaimed, "I was _this _close to getting my hands on the Orbs of Power! And that eavesdropping necromancer had to go and mess it all up!"

In a fit a rage, Vlad grabbed an empty flask and threw it across the room. It shattered right next to where his cat, Maddie, was sleeping and it freaked her out.

"RRRREEEEEOOOOOWWWWW!" she screeched and leapt under the desk, "HHHIIIIISSSSSSSS!"

"***Sigh*** Well, so much for that plan," said Vlad, "On a positive note, that Trevor Logan Spectre is quite an interesting one. A _Ghostly Wail_! Could it be? He's denied it countless times, but is it possible that…? No, I shouldn't get ahead of myself. Although… there is one other possible… Ah! I'm getting ahead of myself again!"

He glanced over to the large vat of ectoplasm and approached it as a black ring appeared around his waist.

"Although one plan has been ruined, my _masterplan _has yet to even raise suspicions," he smirked as he leaned forward and peaked through the window, "The first time around ended in a disaster. But you?"

A silhouette appeared from within the vat.

"You will become my _greatest _creation yet!" Vlad exclaimed, "And in one year's time… you will be the greatest challenge Daniel will ever face."

A pair of faint glowing green eyes peaked open as Vlad maniacally laughed.

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**~ Dedicated to the Victims of the Mass Shootings in El Paso, Dayton, Odessa and Midland ~**_

_**~ May All Innocent Lives Lost from Mass Shootings Throughout History Rest Peacefully ~**_

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**{Notes}**

**(Applies to both parts)**

*** The Fenton Gloves were first seen in "Splitting Images", where Tucker used them on Sydney Poindexter when he swapped bodies with Danny and Tucker forced Sydney back into his mirror.**

**** The blink ability is just like the power used in the Dishonored series; it allows the user to move a very high speeds over a short distance. Here, Specter can "warp" to his duplicate that's within eyesight. If you need another possible reference, think of Alucard from the Castlevania Netflix series when he's fighting his father; when he basically moves a blinding speed and bounces off the walls and columns to attack his father; combined with the "possess" ability in the game SuperHot. Still nothing? Forget it…**

***** The Fenton Ghost Blaster is the weapon Sam uses in the episode "Frightmare". Since there's absolutely no information on this weapon and it hasn't been formally named, I will call it the Ghost Blaster. I would have gone with the Fenton Bazooka, but that's already a thing. You got any better names? I'm open to suggestions.**

****** Energy Absorption is the power of absorb various forms of energy and utilize them in some way, according to the DP Wiki. Aside from Danny now having it, Vlad Plasmius has this ability and has only used it in the episode "Bitter Reunions". Specter's ability to store ecto-energy is not related to this; that energy is naturally made from within him, like how Danny needs to recover after a Ghostly Wail. Danny has used this power before in the episode "Torrent of Terror", but that was due to his temporary weather powers.**

**^ Let's get this cleared up; in the UK, they have ground floor, first floor, second floor, etc. In the US, we have both ground floor and first floor, which means the same thing. Depending on the buildings, they might use either ground or first floor, but they mean the same thing. So for future reference, when I say first floor, it means ground floor as well.**

**^* Reference to the episode "Bitter Reunions", when the flashback showed how Vlad got ecto-acne.**

**^** The Ghost Grappler is the net gun from the episode "Mystery Meat".**

**^*** The Carnivorous Cavern has only been seen in the episode "Infinite Realms".**

**^**** References to the episodes "Shades of Gray", "Memory Blank", and "Fanning the Flames".**

**^^ Reference to the episode "Attack of the Killer Garage Sale"… Ugh… so many references… why do I do this to myself?**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**Fun Fact: Trevor's holographic drumsticks are from the future, obviously. They can be folded into thirds and stored away. When activated, one of the drumsticks will release a small holographic device on the ground that projects a set of drums and a speaker. The device also carries every song Trevor downloaded into it. Although they are holograms, the drums still react as normal drums would.**

… **Yes, there will be more songs in the future. *Wink***

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

**This author's note will be ridiculously long, so I apologize. I'll most likely remove most of it in a future update.**

**First, I want to begin this author's note on a serious note in light of the recent mass shootings here in the United States. I want to express my deepest condolences and thoughts to all the victims, to their families, friends, and others close in their lives. Although this may sound cheesy and crude, and most likely won't be seen by the people, I would also like to dedicate this season finale to them, as well as all other victims and people affected by these horrific mass shootings and of those in the past. It may not mean much, but it is the best I can offer, and I hope that means something.**

**Next, I want to say thank you to everyone who has followed this story since the beginning and has had to patience to waste their time in reading this garbage. I think you guys are idiots (not really) for reading my trash, but, whatever.**

**Now let's talk about why it took me so long to finally release this. Well, here's what happened: I was finishing up what I had originally put together and the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton happened. Due to a certain scene in the story, which I decided may have been too triggering (even though it wasn't really meant to be so) in light of recent events and removed it. However, doing so resulted in a cascade of edits that ended with me starting over from the beginning. I finished that version but found it to be too long and all over the place, so I had to rewrite it **_**AGAIN**_**. By then, my fall semester in college had begun and I had to focus on how my schedule was looking while trying to find time for free time. That and other personal stuff happened.**

**Look, I'm sorry, okay!? I gave you both parts at once as an apology! Jeez, I'm a busy guy.**

**With school brought up, I must say that I don't know exactly **_**when **_**Season 4 will be released; I have about 90% of it planned out, but not only do I have to actually write it, I also have my other fanfic (Sonic Adventure) that I've been wanting to work on first. I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do yet; most likely jump back and forth between the two fanfics, but if that doesn't happen, the latest I'll start Season 4 will be around December, or the VERY latest first week of January.**

**Well, that sums up my explanations and wraps up Season 3! Hope you guys enjoyed it.**

… **Oh, right, I almost forgot! There are some things you should be aware of about Season 4.**

**Season 4 will be rated T. Aside from the occasional swearing, there will be topics and themes that are not meant for rate K stories, including bullying, graphic battles, and some crude remarks just to name a few. I'll put trigger warnings at the beginning of the episodes that might require them. So no complaining to me if you get triggered and I warned you.**

**Season 4 will focus a little bit on Trevor's past but only for about three episodes at most, more Ghost Zone lore will be added, and a select few ghosts will have their backstories revealed. Compared to Seasons 1 and 2, Season 3 (of the show) had almost no lore added, aside from the Infi-map, so I'm gonna add some myself. And certain elements from Butch Hartman. *Wink***

**Although it's technically against the rules and guidelines, I might… MIGHT… do some form of Q&A at the end of each episode next season. Not sure yet if I will actually do it, but for now, if you want, you can PM me any questions regarding the DP fanfic or my personal opinions on DP; I'll pick 3 or 5 at random and answer them as briefly as possible. Again, might not actually be allowed to do this, but we'll see.**

**If I end up getting a slap on the wrist for this Q&A thing at the end of each episode, I'll stop doing it and remove it from any episodes. I'll also have to modify this A/N once that happens… or when Season 4 is finished. *Wink***

**Well, that's it. Got nothing else to say. Hope you enjoyed- what? You want a sneak peek of Season 4? I've already told you in a previous episode that Danielle will return on top of what I've mentioned above; what more do you want!? Ugh… fine! One of the ghosts who will have a backstory revealed is…**

**Ember McLain.**

**There. Happy? YOU WANT MORE?!**

… **Uhhh… hmm… well… I guess I can say that… you're not getting anything else until it's released. Sorry! HA HA HA HAAAAA!**

***Ahem***

**In all seriousness, I hope you guys have enjoyed this work. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. And maybe sooner than you think. Besides… wouldn't you like to know how Dust knows about magic? The same magic used by Magnus?**

**Like, follow, and please review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

_**YEAR 2030**_

In his lair, Clockwork watched the events of Specter's actions in the past before him.

"Hmmm…." he muttered.

"How's he doing?" said a female voice behind him.

"Better than I feared," Clockwork replied, "but worse than I had hoped."

The teenager slowly approached Clockwork, who looked down and saw that she was having trouble with her wheelchair. He mentally focused and telekinetically removed a rubber ring that was caught in the chair.

"Thank you," the visitor replied.

Clockwork noticed a sealed metal box in her lap as he morphed into his elderly form.

"It's for him," she told Clockwork, "He needs to know what has happened these past few weeks."

"I cannot-"

"Please, Clockwork?" the teen asked, "We both know that due to him being in a new timeline, the medallion only acts as an anchor for him to this timeline; time continues to move on for us both."

"Do you really want to worry him more?" Clockwork asked, "He's been through so much already; you of all people know that."

"I do," the teen replied, "But he's family, and he _needs _to know about this."

Clockwork morphed into his infant form and sighed.

"Very well," he said, "This is not the wisest of decisions, but I can't stop you."

"Thank you," the teen replied.

Clockwork nodded and opened a time portal in front of them. The teen looked down at the box and hugged it tightly.

"Be safe," she whispered as she let the portal suck the box inside and begin to close, "… little brother."

"**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"**

***Whispers* PS, you're welcome~.**


	10. Season 4

**Hey, guys,**

**First off, I just wanted to say thank you, to all of you, for reading this story. It was a blast writing and as of 2/2/20, this story has reached over 3k views. (You guys are CRAZY!)**

**The thing I wanted to let you guys know about is that Danny Phantom Season 4 has been released with FOUR chapters as of 2/16/20. It continues the story after this season and I would love to see what you guys think. I also won't be updating it for the next month or two because I want to get started on that Sonic fanfic I've been trying to get together and now the itch is just too much for me to ignore. Don't worry, I'll still be working on Season 4 summaries, but I will start switching back and forth between to the two stories for a while.**

**As for grammar corrections, Season 3 still has a few throughout that need to be corrected, but I'll be taking a break from that for now. (Even though I'm only taking 2 classes right now and the fact that I'm just a lazy gamer.) **

**Hope you guys enjoyed Season 3 and I hope to see you in Season 4! Remember to Like, Follow, and Review! Until next time!**

**~ThePhantomHedgehog**


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